The Hamptons
by annieSL
Summary: AU: Jackson Avery is the rich and spoiled, eighteen year old boy who was used to spending his summers in the luxury of the Hamptons. He had it all, but something was missing. This was the summer he met the girl who changed everything. And life would never be the same again.
1. take me to the hamptons

It was a little past 4PM when Jackson Avery looked through the window of his bedroom up to the blue clean skin above. It was his second day here…in the Hamptons. Well, it wasn't exactly his second day, because he was used to coming here everyday summer. He started coming here when was fourteen years old. He liked it here and the fact that he was not alone helped a lot too. Yes, he had made friends here over the summers and now he was waiting for one of them in particular to come and pick him up. "He's always late!" He thought. But just as soon as that thought crossed his mind, his phone rang.

Jackson looked to his phone and saw a text. _"I'm here."_ He grabbed his keys and his wallet and put them on his short's pockets. Then, he opened the door of his bedroom and made his way downstairs.

As he was about to open the front door, he remembered he needed to do something first. "Hey, Mindy?" He shouted. "I'm leaving and I'm not coming for dinner."

Mindy entered the hallway, with her hands on her hips and a concerned look on her face. "You're not coming for dinner?"

"No, I'm going out and I don't know when I'm coming back." He replied. Mindy was the housekeeper. He knew her since he was only a little boy. She was an African-American sixty year old woman, with a strong personality and a heart of gold. She treated Jackson like he was her own son and he had a special place in his heart for her, since she basically raised him.

"Where are you going?" She asked him.

"To my friend's house." He replied, taking his hand from the door knob and taking a few steps towards her. Then, he bent down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Don't worry, Mindy. I'll be alright."

She shook her head and as he was about to open the door again she said. "Don't come home too late."

"Okay!" He said, before opening the door and leaving. He loved his mother, but he had always seen Mindy as a second mother to him. And the fact that she didn't have children of her own only made it seem like he was her own kid. She always looked after him and Catherine Avery always made her come with to the Hamptons with him and he didn't mind.

Jackson spotted his friend's car parked right outside the door. He stepped near the vehicle and opened the door on the passenger side of his friend's Mercedes SUV. "Hey, man."

"Hey, sorry I'm late." His friend replied.

"It's okay." Jackson said, entering the car. "I'm used to it. You're always late."

"Hey! That's not fair. I'm not always late."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Are you ready?" His friend asked.

"Yep. Let's go!" Jackson replied. Finn Harrison was his close friend. They knew each other since pre-school. He was the grandson of an important surgeon in Boston who was friends with Harper Avery. They knew each other better than anybody else and they even attended the same boarding school together. Finn was the type of guy you liked to hang out with: he was adventurous, rebellious, funny and all sorts of crazy. He was the guy who kept the party going and for that reason he was Jackson's partner in crime. Finn was spending the summer with his mother, a dedicated housewife, in a house just ten minutes away from Jackson's and the fact that they spent so many summers together made it easier for them to share the same group of friends.

"So what's up?" Finn asked, making conversation.

"Not much. Got here yesterday. I think I'm staying by myself for a few weeks. My mom's working as usual." He replied, looking out the window. "You know how it works."

"You have no idea how lucky you are. My mom's driving me crazy and I just got here."

"Why?"

"She says I need to be more responsible this summer, since I'm going to college this year and all." Finn replied, looking as annoyed as ever. "Then she says I have to honor our family's name and quit playing around. And my dad is on my mom's side and he keeps pushing me into med school. I honestly think he wants me to be just like him…I swear I'm losing my mind."

Finn's father was also a surgeon and from what Jackson knew his parents were always pushing him to have better grades, to become a better student, to become a doctor and eventually a great surgeon as well. "Yeah, annoying." He replied, trying to make a conversation. The truth was he had heard his friend talk about this so many times, he could swear he knew what he was about to say next.

"You're lucky that your family doesn't give two craps about your academic life."

Jackson simply nodded. It was true. His family didn't give a crap about his academic life. His mother cared about his grades and he went to the best schools in the country, but he was sure that his family wasn't expecting him to be the next great surgeon of the decade. Actually, they didn't even push him to go to medical school or pursue any career related to it.

A few minutes later, they entered the gates of the shingle style mansion where they were going to meet their friends and when Finn finally stopped the car, Jackson got out and looked at the building in front of him. Everything seemed as it was a year ago. This was the Wright's house in the Hamptons.

They rang the bell and someone quickly opened the door, greeting them and informing them that their friends were waiting for them by the pool. So, they passed the entry hall and made their way into the house to get to the backyard.

As soon as Jackson stepped outside, he spotted his friends and Shelly Wright quickly approached them with a smile on her face. "Jackson!" She said, opening her arms to give him a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. I missed you!"

Jackson hugged her back. "It's nice seeing you again too, Shelly."

Shelly Wright was the 17 year old daughter of John and Barbara Wright, proud owners of the top real estate company in New York. She was tall, slim, with blonde locks cascading down her shoulders, dark brown eyes and a classic type of beauty. She was slowly becoming the next 'it' girl of the moment. With only seventeen years old, she already lived the jet-set lifestyle and knew very well how to behave, who to hang out with and where to do it.

"Girls, the boys are here!" She yelled, taking Jackson by the hand.

"Oh, hey guys!" Another girl said, not even bothering standing up from the sunbathing chair she was lying on.

"Hi, Lila." Finn said, taking off his shirt. "How are you doing?"

"Good. Very good! I love the summer." She replied. Lila Johnson was Shelly's best friend. She was also a tall, blonde, very attractive girl and people who didn't know better could actually mistake her and Shelly for twin sisters. Jackson met Lila two summers ago, when Shelly started bringing her to the Hamptons and let her stay in her house. Lila's father was the owner of a famous New York football team and, just like Shelly, she knew her ways around the glamorous circle of Manhattan's richest people.

Finn took off his shirt and threw it to the girl sitting on the chair next to Lila's. The girl, whose face was covered by a round floppy sun hat, lifted up her head and shouted out. "Stop it! Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

"She's having problems with her boyfriend." Shelly said, as the girl went back to her original position.

Ava Grant, the girl on the phone, had a chestnut brown hair, deep blue eyes and an olive skinned tone. She came from a family of powerful lawyers and that was probably why she had the strong personality she did, as she was not afraid to speak her mind or even being taken as rude sometimes.

"Anyways, do you guys want anything to drink?" Shelly continued, looking at Jackson with her best smile.

"No, I'm cool." Jackson replied, starting to take off his shirt. He noticed how Shelly had her eyes glued on him and how it somehow made him feel uncomfortable.

"So, hum…you're staying home alone?" Finn asked.

"Yes, Lila is staying with me…" She replied, not taking her eyes off of Jackson. "…but my parents aren't here." It was the same for all of them. Their parents worked so much that they often sent their kids away for the summer with maids and other employees to take care of them. Jackson always thought that by doing that they pretended to create a false sense of family to make them feel less bad about the fact that their priority was working other than spending time with their children.

"Cool."

"Yeah!" She said, stepping closer to Jackson and placing one hand on his shoulder. Then, she leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "You know…my parents aren't here. If you want, you can spend the night and who knows what might happen!"

Flashbacks of last year's summer came into his mind. He and Shelly had a little fling, but nothing too serious. He regretted it now and her suggestions made him feel very uncomfortable. Jackson felt his mouth dry out and he had to clear his throat before taking two steps back. He didn't reply to her and instead turned to Finn. "Are you ready?"

Finn smiled at him knowing exactly what he meant. "No, my friend, the question is…are you ready?"

Jackson looked at him and nodded. Then, they started running and with an impulse they both jumped into the pool, splashing water everywhere. The girls screamed as sprinkles of water wet their bodies.

"Morons!" Ava yelled, standing up from her seat, completely furious with them. "Gosh, grow up."

They both laughed and high fived each other.

…

It was 01AM when Finn's SUV parked in front of Jackson's house. "Thanks for the ride, man." He said, opening the car door.

"You're welcome. Talk to you later."

"Yeah." Jackson said, leaving the car. He shut the door and Finn left.

Jackson and his friends spent the rest of the day together, just hanging out like the old times. Now, all he had to do was to try to sneak inside the house without Mindy noticing or he would have to hear from her. So, he took the keys out of his pocket and slid the key on the door lock as silently as he could.

Jackson opened the door and as he was about to enter the house, he bumped into someone. She let out a loud scream, as the bags she held in her hands fell to the floor. She stumbled in her feet and ended up falling down.

"Look where you're going." He said, annoyed by the noise she made.

She looked up at him, as he was about to turn his back on her, and quickly stood on her feet. "Excuse me?"

He wanted to leave the hall as fast as he could, because he didn't want to get caught by his housekeeper. So, he tried to ignore her, but she grabbed his arm and made him turn around.

"Hey! I'm talking to you." She said, with a furious stare.

"What?" He said, freeing his arm.

"You bump into me, make me fall and you don't even have the decency of saying sorry?"

"Look, I don't have time for this." He replied, turning his back on her again.

"Jerk!"

He stopped and turned around again. "What did you just say?"

It was the first time he really took the time to notice her: she was a pale skinned redhead girl; her hair was stuck in a messy bun; she had soft pink lips, her cheeks were completely red and she didn't look to be more than eighteen years old. She had her arms crossed against her chest and a furious look on her face. "You're a jerk! I called you a jerk." She said, turning around to pick up the things that were spread across the floor when she fell. "But you know what? It's okay. It's okay." She moved her arms impatiently and looked at the mess on the floor.

Then Jackson leaned forward and grabbed her arm, making her face him again. "Hey. You don't get to call me names in my own house. 'Cause this is my house! I can do whatever I want and say whatever I want."

She pulled her arm and freed herself from him. "Oh, now I see! Of course! You're one of them." She said, with a sarcastic tone, noticing his arrogance.

"One of them?"

"Yes!" She continued. "One of those damn idiot rich kids, who thinks the world spins around them and that they have every right in the world to do as they please without taking into consideration other people's existence."

"I'm what?"

"Yes! Yes, you are what you just heard." She replied in a serious tone. Then, she bent down and continued to tuck things inside the bags she was carrying in her arms a few minutes ago. "People warned me about spoiled guys like you, you know?" She went on with her rant, not even paying attention to him. "But I didn't want to believe it could be this bad. I guess I was wrong. I was wrong. People are rude! Idiots like you are rude. Oh gosh! I can't wait to meet more people like you, because I know for sure that it's going to happen. But you know what?" She grabbed the bags and turned to him. "I'm not even gonna care. Have a good night."

Jackson watched, completely speechless, as she made her way out the door. 'What the hell just happened?', he thought. He was not exactly sure what to think about it, but then he heard some noises and quickly made his way upstairs.

He entered his room and shut the door behind him. As soon as he reached his bed, he crashed on top of it completely clothed. The argument with that girl gave him a major headache and he felt more aggravated than ever. Who was she to say that he was a jerk? She was the one who bumped into him. And why the hell did she call him an idiot when she didn't even know him? Actually, who the hell was she?

He tried to process what just happened but he figured there was no point in it. Why would he care anyways? He was Jackson Avery. The Jackson Avery. No one ever dared to call him an idiot to his face before. Because of his family's last name, people would usually treat him with respect. He was Jackson Avery and she…she was someone he shouldn't care about. With that in mind, he closed his eyes and tried to get some rest.

…

The next day, Jackson woke up and looked for his phone in his pocket. Last night, when he got home, he fell asleep fully clothed and he was just now realizing that. He took his phone from his pocket and checked the time. It was almost 1.30PM, so he got up from bed and went into the bathroom. He splashed his face with water trying to fully wake up and changed into another pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt.

He made his way downstairs, into the kitchen, where he found Mindy cleaning up some dishes. "Good-morning." He said.

"Good-morning?" She, who was with her back to him, turned around. "We're in the middle of the day."

"Well, sorry…"

"Did you get home late last night?"

"Hum…no." He replied, sitting on top of the kitchen counter.

"Hum, hum. Like I would believe you!" She said, with an ironic tone. "Anyways, do you want to eat anything?"

He gave her his best smile, knowing very well how she had him all figured out and how there was no escaping her. "Hum, breakfast would be nice!"

"Breakfast? Let me guess..." She said, walking towards the fridge. "…bacon, eggs and orange juice."

"You know me too well." He replied.

"Sure I do." She said, picking up the things she needed from the fridge. "So how was your night? Did you have fun with your friends?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we had fun." He said, as he thought about last night. Then he remembered what happened when he got home and more questions about the girl he saw filled his mind. "Hey, hum, Mindy…last night, did you invite anyone over?"

"Invite anyone? No." She replied, turning on the stove. "Why?"

"Oh, it's just…it's nothing." He said, scratching the back of his head. Maybe he imagined it; maybe it all happened in his head.

…

Later that day, Jackson went down to the beach right in front of his house for a run. He loved exercising and running by the ocean was one of the things he liked the most about being in the Hamptons.

His Ipod was on, his headphones were in his ears and a Kanye West song was playing to mark his rhythm. He spent the past fifteen minutes running by himself, just trying to clear his mind from everything. In those few minutes of pure solitude, where he could just be himself, without having to put the façade of being the grand-child of Harper Avery, he could just breathe and try to figure out his life. He was an eighteen year old guy, about to enter one of the best colleges in the world, he had money and wealth…he had it all and yet he never felt more empty inside. What the hell was wrong with him? And then he remembered his friends, both here and at home. How could they look so happy? He wondered if they were really happy, because the truth was…he wasn't. He had everything and he wasn't happy. He pretended to be happy; he created the 'Jackson Avery' persona, when in fact the weight of the 'Avery' name was something he would rather not have on his shoulders. And maybe he was being selfish, because there were so many people dying to be in his position and here he was…complaining about life. People looked at him and he knew they envied him. From the outside, his life couldn't be more perfect. However, it felt like something was missing. He just wished he could figure out what it was.

As soon as these thoughts crossed his mind, he crashed into someone and they both stumbled on their feet, but did not fall. He looked at the person in front of him and could not believe his eyes. It was her.

"What the heck?" He heard her say as he took his headphones off. "Oh gosh…you again?" She asked, annoyed by his presence once she realized who was in front of her. "I honestly prayed that I would not have to see your face ever again."

"What? You're the one who bumped into me…again." He said, with an aggressive tone. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"What does it look like I'm doing here?" She replied. That was when he noticed she was holding a camera in her hands. "I was peacefully taking a couple of pictures of the ocean when I take two steps back and you hit me again."

"Yeah? Well, let me break some news to you." He said, holding a finger up and pointing to the beach. "This is a private area."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, it is." He went on. "It is private property of the owners of those houses." He pointed out to the mansions facing the shore.

"I don't see any sign prohibiting me from being here!" She said, with a daring tone.

"Well, I'm telling you, so…"

"So what?" She asked, taking two steps towards him, with her hands crossed against her chest. "Are you kicking me out?"

"I am." He replied, not appreciating her attitude.

"And who are you to kick me out?"

He smiled at her ironically. "You've gotta be kidding me right now." Then, he closed the space between them and placed his hands on his hips.

"No, I'm not!" She replied, with a fearless look on her face.

"Ok!" He continued. "So you were in my house last night and you don't know who I am?"

"No. No, I don't." She said. He made sure he looked directly into her eyes, but she didn't even blink with his approach. "Nice house, by the way…very neat."

"Alright, well…then you listen..."

"No, you listen." She raised her voice, cutting him off. "All I know about you is that you're one of those annoying guys that probably has more money that what they should have. Now, if you excuse me I have better things to do."

She turned around to leave, but he took a few steps and placed himself in front of her, blocking her way. "Wait a second…you can't just walk away. This conversation is not over."

"Well, I'm walking away now, so..."

He suddenly realized everything that happened last night was very weird. She was a stranger and he found her, somehow, inside of his house at one in the morning, without any explanation or reason. "What were you doing in my house last night?"

"You can't be serious." She looked at him and let out a fake laugh. Then, she stopped and with a serious tone, she said. "That's none of your business."

She started walking again, but he got in front of her once more. "None of my business? That's my house. Of course it's my business."

"Leave me alone." She said, in a demanding tone.

"What were you doing in my house…tell me."

She looked at him and sighed, knowing she had no way out of this. "Well, if you must know, I was allowed to be in there."

"You were allowed? Who allowed you?" She simply crossed her arms and gave him a daring stare. In that moment he realized he would not get an answer from her. "It's okay. You don't want to tell, don't. I'm gonna figure it out anyways."

"Fine. Do it…see if I care!" She said, finally being able to walk away from him.

He watched as she made her way. Then, he put his headphones back on his ears and pressed play on his Ipod. He took one last peek at her and decided to keep running in the opposite direction. He didn't know this girl, but he didn't like her feisty attitude. Who was she and why did she keep popping out in front of him?

.

Jackson extended his work out in the beach for more half an hour, but then he decided it was time to go home.

He was still pretty intrigued by the redhead girl and her sudden appearances. Actually, all he could think about for the whole half an hour he spent outside was her. He didn't even know why he cared so much. Perhaps it was her attitude towards him. No one ever spoke to him like that and he simply didn't like it. Or maybe it was the fact that she was still a mystery to him. A mystery he wanted to unveil badly.

"Mindy?" He asked, as he walked through the empty hall. "MINDY?"

"Yes!" She replied, coming from the living room. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No." Jackson said, noticing her worried face. "No, it's just…I need to ask you something."

"I thought something had happened. The way you were screaming…

"No, I'm fine." He cut her off. "Look, I need to ask you something, ok?"

"Ok. What is it?"

"Do you happen to know a girl…" He started, holding his right hand in the air. "…about this tall, red hair, pale skin…?"

She looked at him, thinking for a second. "Oh, are you talking about the gardener's daughter?"

"The gardener's daughter?"

"Yes." She continued. "The gardener's daughter."

"We have a gardener?" Jackson asked, completely clueless.

"Of course we have. What? You thought the garden took care of itself?" She said, almost in a mocking tone. "This gardener your mother hired has been working in this house for a couple of years now."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes." She went on. "He actually lives in the property. In a small house in the back of the property."

"I didn't know that." He replied, thinking about her sudden presence made a little bit more sense now. It was common for employees to live in their bosses' properties, but it never crossed his mind that she could be the gardener's daughter. "Is his daughter living with him?"

"I guess so." Mindy informed him. "But I don't know. I only spoke to him twice."

"Oh, ok." Jackson said. However he was not satisfied yet. He needed to know more about her. "Do you know her name?"

"Hum…no." Mindy replied, shaking her head. "No, I don't."

"Ok. Well, thank you anyways."

"Why do you ask?"

Jackson looked at her and smiled. "It's nothing. I just…it's nothing. Thank you, Mindy."

Mindy noticed how he was trying to dismiss the issue, but decided to let it go. "Anyways, your mother called."

"My mom? What did she want?"

"Well, she tried to call you, but you didn't pick up the phone."

"Right, I was in the beach and I didn't bring my phone with me."

"Yeah, well, she wants to talk to you…to see how you're doing."

"Ok, I'll call her later." Jackson said, turning around to leave. "Thanks, Mindy!"

"You're welcome!" He heard her say, but he was so lost in his thoughts that all he could think about was her. He knew the girl was the gardener's daughter, but he didn't know anything else about her.

Once he stepped inside of his bedroom, he quickly started taking off his shirt and shorts. He felt sweaty from the work out and he needed to ease his mind. So, he decided to take a quick shower before dinner. Why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Yes, she annoyed him in every level, but at the same time there was just something different about her. He never met a girl as fiery as her and he didn't like it at all. Her attitude annoyed him in so many levels. Who was she to confront him? Who was she make him angry like this? Who as she at all?

As the water ran down his body, he tried not to think about her. This was his summer and he couldn't let a stupid girl ruin it. This was his moment to have fun, with his friends. He was going to confront her the next time he saw her and put her in her place. She couldn't talk like him like she did. Yes, he going to do something about it.

After a few minutes he stepped out of the shower and placed a towel around his hips, entering the bedroom again. Then he put on some clothes and looked for his phone. "2 missed calls from my mom and a text from Finn." He thought out loud as he held the phone on his hand.

He wasn't in the mood to talk to his mom just now, so he called his friend instead.

The phone rang for a few seconds and then Finn picked up. "Hey, man. How are you doing?" He asked. "Great, look do you wanna come to my place…have dinner?"

His friend agreed to it and they settled the time. After the phone call, Jackson lied on his back in the bed. But the redhead girl wouldn't leave his mind.

…

"You know what, dude?" Finn asked, with a serious tone. "This is going to be our summer."

"How so?" Jackson asked, looking at him with amusement. Finn had went over to have dinner with him and now they were by the edge of the property, sitting on the grass, facing the ocean in front of them.

"Because we are two single guys, living in the sweet land of the babes!"

"The babes?" He asked, ironically.

"Yes, man. The babes!" Finn went on. "Chicks. This place is full of chicks. And we, my friend, are a hit with the babes."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't know…" Jackson shook his head. "I don't know if I want to do anything with the 'babes' this year!"

"What?" Finn said, almost outraged by what he just said. "You're Jackson Avery. Dude…c'mon. Why?"

"I just…I don't want to have to deal with what happened last year."

"Oh, I see." His friend said, nodding his head. "You're talking about Shelly, right?"

"Yeah, I mean…kind of."

"Isn't that over?"

"It is." Jackson replied. "Actually, it never started, but in Shelly's mind we were a thing and she was so freaking annoying and…"

"Weren't you a thing?"

"No." He defended himself. "No, we weren't. We made out once or twice and then she started acting like she was my girlfriend. It was terrible."

"But didn't you guys sleep together?"

Jackson quickly stared at his friend with a disgusted look on his face. "No. Uh, no! We only kissed and that was all."

"Only kissed?" Finn inquired. "I mean, I'm not saying that you did. It was what I heard, but…"

"We didn't have sex." Jackson firmly said.

"Sorry. You don't have to get mad about it." Finn apologized. "But you know… Shelly's not a bad girl. She's just a little bit…"

"Over the top?"

"Yeah." Finn agreed, laughing.

Jackson looked at the dark ocean in front of him as they fell into a comfortable silence for a moment. "I don't want anyone this summer." He said after a while. It was the truth. He just wanted to enjoy the summer with his friends before going away to college. And he didn't want Shelly to bother him with all her usual crap. He just wanted to be free to do whatever he pleased.

"Good." Finn said, hitting him on the shoulder. "Then you can be my wingman!"

"Your wingman?"

"Yeah, man." He went on. "We're gonna be the unbeatable duo!"

"I don't kn…"

"Don't even start, Jackson. We're friends or what?"

Jackson looked at his friend and nodded his head in agreement, smiling. "Of course we are, man."

"Great!" Finn said, bumping his hand against his arm. "You're my wingman and that's it!"

"Ok, well…do you want anything to drink?" Jackson asked, standing up.

"Yeah, that'd be cool."

"Ok, I'm gonna go get us something to drink and I'll be back in a minute."

Jackson started to head back to the house when he saw a shadow pass right in front of him. He wasn't sure what it was, since it was a little too dark for him to figure it out from that distance. Unconsciously he decided to follow it. There was just something making him do so and he couldn't control his curiosity.

As he walked faster to keep up with it, he realized that the shadow was taking a form of a human body and was heading towards the pool area.

He stopped when the person in front of him stopped as well. The pool area was surrounded by small bright lights placed on the floor and he could see clearly who it was now. It was her.

He watched as she threw a towel on the floor and how she started lifting her flowery summer dress over her head. He swallowed, but his mouth was suddenly dry. He noticed how she adjusted her green bikini top and flipped her hair with her hand. Her small frame was unexpectedly more beautiful than what he thought it would be and he couldn't help but to stare.

She placed her feet on the edge of the pool and kept her legs straight, arching her back. Then, she lifted up her arms and, as an elegant swan, she jumped into the pool. He watched the whole scene with his eyes glued to her. It was like he was mesmerized by her figure and he couldn't control his urges to keep looking at her as she swam.

He wanted to approach her, to make her stop swimming in his pool. She was just the gardener's daughter. She couldn't use his pool. He wanted to scream at her and put her in her place. But for some reason he just couldn't. He couldn't move. His feet were glued to the floor and he didn't know why.

What was it about this girl that was making him feel this way? And why was he so intrigued by her?

He was still stuck in these thoughts when he heard steps coming from behind him. He then noticed how his friend was walking towards him and he quickly turned around and met him halfway, trying to hide what he just saw. He decided to leave her alone for now.

…

The next morning Jackson woke up earlier than usual. He didn't sleep well the night before. So, he decided to get up and take a quick shower. It wasn't even 9AM when he headed downstairs and found Mindy baking a cake in the kitchen. Even she was surprised to see him up at that time of the morning, since he usually slept in during his summer vacations.

She asked him if he wanted to eat something for breakfast, but he wasn't hungry. So, he grabbed an apple and told her he was going to work out outside.

The sun still wasn't that hot in that time of the morning, so it was the perfect time to go for a run. He took a bite on the apple he was holding on his hand and as he was about to cross the garden, he spotted a familiar figure sitting under a tree. It was her.

He smiled to himself and started walking towards her. She was sitting under a tree, wearing a pair of washed up jeans and an orange blouse that blighted up her figure. Her red hair was down and she was surprisingly wearing a simple pair of brown glasses.

She seemed to be very interviewed in whatever she was reading, because she didn't notice him walking towards her. And when he was finally standing in front of her, he looked down and with a cocky smile on his lips, he simply said. "So…you're the gardener's daughter!"

He noticed how she was taken by surprise with his approach, because her whole body shivered. She quickly pulled herself together and took a deep breath, trying not to let any emotion show. Then, she slowly put down her book and looked up at him.

…

**AN:**

Hi!

So, the story starts with Jackson and April not knowing each other. This is AU so Jackson is a little bit cocky in the beginning and April is a little bit sassier than on the show, but their walls are going to break down eventually. I know that there are some questions left unanswered, but don't worry.

So what did you think about this chapter? I decided to make it a chapter to introduce new characters and I know it might sound a little bit confusing and all, but I'm going to develop the story in the next chapters.

But should I continue?

Anyways, tell me what you think and REVIEW!

Thanks.

Love, Annie

PS: Thank you so much for the reviews and PMs you sent about "Something about you". They really touched my heart. I'm glad you liked the ending!

PS2: English is not my 1st language.

PS3: Lana del Rey's 'National Anthem' is the song that inspired me to write this chapter and it's what's behind its title.


	2. april

He looked down and with a cocky smile on his lips, he simply said. "So…you're the gardener's daughter!"

He noticed how she was taken by surprise with his approach, because her whole body shivered. She quickly pulled herself together and took a deep breath, trying not to let any emotion show. Then, she slowly put down her book and looked up at him.

"I told you I was going to figure it out." He continued, with a conceited tone.

She closed the book she was holding in her hands and held it close against her chest. "Well, it's not exactly rocket science." She said, standing up to face him. "Even a four year old could figure that out…eventually."

"I…" He looked at her, but simply nodded his head, deciding to let her comment pass by this time. "…you know what… nevermind."

"Great. Now, can you leave me alone?"

"No." He quickly replied, not surprised by her attitude anymore. "What were you doing in my house the other night?"

She looked at him and realized she didn't have another choice but to tell him the truth and there was no point in lying to him anyways. "Your housekeeper told my dad that there were some things in the pantry for him and he asked me to go get them."

"Hum…" He took another bite of his apple. "So why did you picked them up so late at night?"

"Because…" She started, thinking about how it was about one in the morning when they bumped into each other. "…my dad asked me to."

"At that time of the night?"

She gave him an annoyed look. "Yes! Why? You're doubting me?" She asked, aggressively.

"No. It's just…weird." He saw how she was starting to lose her temper with him once again. She told him what he wanted to hear and there was no reason to keep the conversation going. However, he didn't want to stop talking to her just yet. "What are you reading?" He asked, looking at the book she was holding against her chest.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" And that was when he noticed that she had a pen in her hand as well and that the book wasn't an actual book, but a notebook and that a few minutes ago, when he approached her, she wasn't actually reading, but writing in it. "Oh…"

"Oh? What?" She said, noticing his teasing tone.

"Is that what I think it is?" He asked, pointing at the notebook. "Is that your diary?"

"I…no…" She stammered in her own words, as her cheeks turned bright red.

"It is!" He said, in a mocking tone. "What do you write in your little diary?"

"It's not a diary." She firmly stated, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I'm not a 12 year old…I…"

"I mean…nice touch, though." He continued, cutting her off, noticing the distinct color of the notebook. "I like red…a lot"

"Can you leave me alone, please?" She asked, in a demanding tone. He simply looked at her and craved his teeth on the apple he was eating. She noticed how much he was enjoying seeing her in that position. "You know what? I don't have to deal with this." She said, completely mortified by his comments. So, she turned on her feet and started walking away from him.

Jackson found himself loving the fact that he actually made her feel uncomfortable for a moment. Smiling to himself, he walked away too, deciding he wasn't in the mood to work out anymore. So, he went back home, proud of himself.

As soon as he opened his bedroom door, he heard his phone ringing. He quickly ran to answer it without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hi!" The familiar voice on the other replied.

"Shelly…hi. How are you?"

"Good, I'm good." She said, with her usual sweet voice. "Look, I'm calling you because the girls and I are planning on throwing a little get together later and we were wondering if you were up for it."

"Hum, sure…"

"Great." She said, enthusiastically. "It's just something small…on the beach. We can hang out together and get something to drink."

"Yeah." He said, knowing exactly what she meant, since they used to do something similar every year.

"Ok, cool. So, we can pass by your house and go to the beach from there?"

"Yeah, yeah…that's fine." He replied. "See you late, Shelly."

"See you later."

When he finally hang up the phone, he sat on his bed with his back against the headboard. He couldn't care less about Shelly's party or whatever get together they had planned. No, his mind kept running back to the redhead that caught his attention a couple of days ago. He did. He finally left her speechless and only thinking about that made him feel pure joy.

…

Meanwhile, she made her away back to the little house where she was living with her father. She only got the change to take a few steps when she heard her father's voice calling her.

He was watering some flowers when he called her and once she was near him, he looked at her with a serious face. "Were you talking to whom I think you were talking to?"

"Hum, yes…I don't know." She replied, trying not to look directly at him since she already knew what was coming. Her father warned her about this and he didn't want this kind of thing to happen. She knew it all too well and yet she couldn't control it. It was like they were being pulled to each other by some invisible power. It wasn't her fault that he kept appearing in front of her, making small talk with her. And it was definitely not her fault that they argued every time they were face to face.

"Sweetheart, didn't I tell you that you're not allowed to talk with people from the house?"

"I know dad, but he started it…" She started, trying to defend herself. He started it all. He was the one who kept bumping into her. He was the one pushing her buttons. He was the one making her talk to him.

"And you're not allowed to walk around the property like you own it. Especially when people might see you."

"But daddy…"

"Promise me you won't talk to him anymore."

"But…"

"Sweetheart, this job is really important and you know that. You're not even supposed to be here, so…"

"I know, daddy. I know."

"Ok, then promise me you won't talk to him or draw attention to yourself."

She took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, I won't."

…

"Jackson, are you sure you don't want to try it?" Finn asked, holding a bottle of tequila in his hands.

"No, thanks. I'm trying not to mix things tonight."

It was a little past 9PM and he and his friends were at the beach like they agreed earlier. They met at Jackson's place and headed down to the beach in front of his house.

Shelly and Lila were able to steal some alcohol bottles from Shelly's father private bar without anyone noticing and they brought them to drink with the group. They knew it was illegal, but stealing bottles and drinking the night away was nothing new to them. It was something they started doing a while ago and with no parental control around, there was nobody who could caught them or stop them.

"Jackson, c'mon. Don't be such a pussy." Shelly said, sitting next to him and resting her head on his shoulder. She was pretty much wasted at this point.

Jackson looked over to Finn, who was almost lying down in the sand with Lila by his side. Jackson couldn't hear what he was saying, but he was pretty sure he was trying to hit on her.

"Where's Ava?" Jackson asked, trying to draw Shelly's attention to something else.

"Hum…she's meeting us later." She replied, leaning over and touching his face.

When Jackson felt Shelly's hand caress his cheek, he quickly grabbed her hand and put it down. "Shelly, don't do that."

"Why?" She asked, looking at him with a frown. "Last summer you seemed to enjoy it."

"Last summer was last summer." He said, regretting everything that happened between them in the past.

"Well, I know you still want it." She said, standing up.

He saw her try to stand up, but her legs caved in and she almost stumbled. Jackson got up right on time to help her out. "You need to sit down, okay?"

"I need to go to the restroom." She informed him. "Lila? Lila, do you want to come with me to my place…I need to use the restroom?" She shouted.

"Right now?" Lila replied.

"Yes, I really need to go."

"But I'm having so much fun right now." Her friend said, looking at Finn.

"Alright, then. I'll go with you." Jackson said, much to Shelly's happiness. He noticed how her whole face lit up.

"You are?"

"Yes. Let's go to my place. It's closer."

Jackson walked Shelly into the property, almost carrying the weight of her body, since she was holding her arms tightly around his neck. He knew she had drank a little bit too much and it was safer for him to walk her inside. He didn't want problems with Mindy and she couldn't even imagine that he and his friends had been drinking and doing some other illegal activities.

"Jackson…" She said, with her mouth way too close to his ear. "…you're always a gentleman."

"Yeah, sure, Shelly…sure."

"I mean it." She was speaking loudly and he didn't want Mindy to hear them. They were a few steps away from the kitchen door and if Mindy found them and saw Shelly in that condition, he would be in trouble.

"Ok, Shelly. Let's keep it down, ok?"

"I know you're a gentleman." She continued, much to his despair. "But you can take advantage of me anytime you want."

"Hum…" He didn't know what to say. She was drunk - he knew that - but still… what was he supposed to say? It was better for him to ignore her at that point. She had been throwing herself at him all evening and he didn't want to be rude and just tell her directly that that was not going to happen.

"I mean…we're both attractive people." Shelly said, stopping in front of him and making him stop too. "Don't you find me attractive, Jackson?"

He looked at her and nodded. "Shelly, c'mon." He grabbed her by the waist and placed her arm on his shoulder.

"You don't find me attractive?" She insisted, turning his face to her with her free hand.

"I do. I do." He gave up. It was better off this way. He didn't want to give her any false hopes, but she was so drunk that by tomorrow she probably wouldn't remember anything.

"You do?" She asked, almost in a sweet, innocent tone.

"Yes, Shelly." He said to make her stop talking about it. "Now, we're almost there, ok?"

"Ok."

"Can you do me a favor, then?" She nodded and he continued. "Ok, I'm gonna lead you to the bathroom near the kitchen. But you have to be really, really quiet."

"Quiet? Why?"

"Because, we don't want to get caught." She started laughing uncontrollably and he now regretted taking her home. "Shelly?"

"It's just too funny. We're gonna get caught."

"I'm serious here."

"You know…we can get caught doing some naughty things." She said, in between giggles.

He chose not to reply, since it was useless at this point. "Ok, here we go." He said, as he opened the backdoor.

He took a peek and the lights were on, but the place was silent and Mindy didn't seem to be anywhere near the kitchen. So, he helped Shelly get inside and leaded her to the little bathroom next to the kitchen.

He told her how he would be waiting for her outside. Then, he made his way back to the entrance. The garden was dark and he could hear crickets singing in the background. He looked at the beach and saw the bright light coming from the fireplace they managed to make. He wondered how he was going to get through this summer. His friends were the same. Their personalities didn't change over the year and yet he didn't feel like he was the same guy he was a summer ago. They still did the same things and talked about the same things and had the same interest as the year before. Jackson, on the other hand, was realizing that doing this kind of things – going out and partying like he used to – didn't excite him anymore. He wondered why, but couldn't get an answer. And now, thinking about Shelly and the messy estate she was in, he could not understand how he used to enjoy this kind of thing. Last year he was just like his friends and by now he would probably be drunk too. But something changed and he didn't feel like getting drunk now. There was nothing exciting about it anymore.

As he thought about it, he heard a voice coming from behind him. "Oh Gosh!"

He turned around and saw who was talking to him. It was her. "Are you stalking me now?" He asked her, noticing how she was wearing a pair of blue pajama shorts and a loose matching tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a pair of pink flip-flops in her feet.

"Hum, no." She said, placing one hand over her chest. "You scared me. What are you doing standing in the dark like that?"

"What are you doing walking around in the dark like that?" He asked, trying not to stare at her figure. 'She looks good in her pajamas', he thought.

"I was taking the trash out." She replied, pointing out to the corner where she had just appeared. "My dad asked me to take the trash out…"

"Yeah, yeah." He said, nodding his head.

They fell into an awkward silence for a few seconds, until she started taking a couple of steps forward. "Ok…well, I'm gonna go now."

"Hum, wait." He said, in an impulse. It was totally unexpected and even he didn't know why he did that or what he was supposed to say next.

"Yes?" She asked, stopping and facing him.

"I…hum…I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to make fun of your diary." It was the first thing that came into his mind and he didn't seem to have control over his own words.

"Oh, yeah…ok." She simply said, crossing her arms against her chest.

"I mean…I didn't mean to make you feel bad about it." What the hell was happening and why was he saying this. Why did he felt the need to keep talking to her and why couldn't he think of anything else to say.

"Well, it's not a diary." She replied, taking a step closer to him. "It's a journal."

The kitchen light illuminated her face clearly now and he noticed how she was biting her lower lip. He had to focus on what he wanted to say next, since he could feel some sort of tension in the air. "A…a journal?"

"Yes."

"What's the difference?" Her arms were still crossed against her chest, but she was so close that he had trouble trying not to look at her cleavage.

"Well, I think that a diary is something you use to write down what happened during the day." She replied, taking another step towards him. "A journal is something you use to write down your own personal feelings…things that happened to you and how they made you feel."

"Really?"

"You never wrote a journal?"

"No."

"You should try, then." He took a step closer to her and looked directly into her eyes. "Why?"

"Because keeping a journal can help you figure out what you want for your live, see the mistakes you made in the past and learn from them. It helps you figure out who you are in a deeper level, because it's personal…is something you write for yourself."

"And what do you write in your journal?" He asked, closing the space between them.

"I write about my feelings…my dreams…things that happened to me and…" As she talked, he noticed how she was smiling. It was the first time he saw her smile. It was a genuine smile and he found himself staring at it. "…people that I met."

"Oh, people that you met."

She looked at him, realizing what she had just said, and shook her head. "Don't even think I wrote about you in my journal."

"I'm not thinking anything. You were the one to think about it…I didn't say anything." He defended himself, smiling at her too.

As she was about to say something, they heard a loud noise from inside and instinctively turned their heads to see what was happening in there.

"Oops, sorry…my bad." Shelly said, trying to pick up a pan from the floor. "Jackson…I'm ready."

He looked at Shelly and cursed in his head. "Shelly? Are you ok?"

She walked towards the door and grabbed Jackson's arm. "I'm fine…I'm fine."

"Ok, I'm gonna go now."

Jackson quickly turned to face the redhead. "Wait…I…"

"No, I'm gonna go now. Have a good night." She said, not giving him a chance to say anything else. Then, she turned on her feet and walked away.

"Who is that?" Shelly asked, resting her head on Jackson's shoulder.

"That's…" He watched as she walked away into the darkness, frustrated with Shelly and the way she ruined their first real conversation. "…That's no one."

"You were talking to her?" She asked, as Jackson helped her move.

"Hum…no." He said, trying to dismiss the issue. "Let's go, Shelly. They're waiting for us."

…

The next day, Jackson looked out the window of his bedroom more times than he could count. His window was facing the garden and he spent the whole day trying to spot her. He needed to see her. He didn't know why, but he needed to see her. However, he could not spot her anywhere.

Last night he actually had the chance to talk to her and not argue. He liked talking to her. He enjoyed seeing her smile. He enjoyed feeling the proximity of their bodies for the first time.

He wondered what she was going through her mind after seeing him with Shelly. Why did Shelly have to ruin everything? Why did the redhead walked away so quickly?

And then it hit him – he still didn't know her name.

He knew she was the gardener's daughter, he knew she had a sassy temper, he knew the color of her pajamas and he knew she liked writing journals. But her name was still a mystery to him.

Thinking about this, he decided to leave the room. He needed air. He needed to feel the fresh salty air of the beach.

He left the house and walked through the wooden path that connected his backyard to the beach. When he reached the sand, he couldn't help but smile.

There she was, sitting on the sand, with her back to him.

A sense of relief ran through his whole body. She was there. He was going to have a chance to talk to her again.

He started walking towards her and when he finally reached her, he simply sat next to her, without saying a word.

She looked to her side and when she saw him sitting next to her, she quickly shut her red notebook. "Why do you keep scaring me?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." She gave him an annoyed look, but didn't say anything. So, he decided to speak again. "Are you writing on your journal?"

"That's none of your business." She replied.

He noted the harshness in her voice and how different it was from last night. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she saw Shelly and the state she was in. Somehow he felt the need to explain himself to her. "About last night…" He started, noticing she was not looking at him, but at the ocean in front of them. "…Shelly is my friend and she got a little bit tipsy and I was just helping…"

"I don't care." She quickly replied.

"Ok, fine, but…" He didn't know why he wanted to make it clear to her that Shelly wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't have to explain himself to her, but somehow he wanted to. "My friends and I were just hanging out and they got drunk. Shelly is just my friend."

"It's ok. I don't care." She insisted, cutting him off. "I honestly don't care about what you do with your friends or your girlfriends or your… life. Ok?"

"Ok." He felt disappointed with her reply. There was just something about this girl that frustrated and intrigued him at the same time. "I don't have a girlfriend, though."

She looked at him from the corner of her eye and without showing any other facial expression she simply said. "Ok."

"Ok." He took a couple of minutes to really look at her. She was wearing a soft yellow dress and in her neck she was supporting a heart shaped pendant. Her hair was in a braid, in her lap was her red notebook and by her side she her bag and her sandals. "So, were you writing on your journal?"

"Hum…no. Kind of…" She said, reluctantly. "I was actually taking some pictures." She held a Polaroid camera and showed it to him. "It was belonged to my dad, but he gave it to me a few years ago."

"Cool." He said, taking the camera from her hands. "So, you take pictures and put them in there?"

She looked down at her notebook and nodded. "Yes. It's a way of not forgetting what I saw… words can be a great way of describing things, places, but pictures…have a different kind of magic. I don't know…I just like taking a pictures."

"Right." He held the camera in his hands and turned to her. "Do you mind?"

"What? Me? No." She replied, when he asked if he could take a picture of her.

"Why not?"

"Because…" She insisted.

"Ok, fine." He turned the Polaroid away and took a photo of the crashing waves in front of them. In a second a paper started coming out of the machine. Jackson took it and started shaking it. "This is so cool."

"Yeah, the best thing about this camera is that you don't have to wait for your pictures." She said, as he handed her the photo. "Oh, this is actually pretty good."

"Oh…thanks." She smiled for the second time since they met. It was like her smile was contagious, so he found himself smiling too.

"I'm gonna keep it." She said, slightly opening her notebook and tucking the picture in.

"Hey…hum…" He started, as she closed the notebook again. "I'm Jackson, by the way."

She looked at him with her brightest smile. "Jackson, I'm…"

He was about to hold his hand up to give her a handshake when her phone started ringing. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said, as she looked for her phone inside of her bag. When she looked at the caller ID, she hung up the call without answering it. "It's my dad. I have to go."

He watched as she stood up and put her red notebook and camera inside of her bag. "But…"

"I really have to go. He's waiting for me. We're going to the city." She said, taking off the sand stuck in her legs. He got up too, just as she was about to leave. "See you…"

She started walking back, but Jackson shout out. "Wait…your name?"

She stopped and turned around. "April…April Kepner." Then, she started running.

April. Now he knew her name. It was not a common name, but it fitted her. She was not a common girl.

As he was about to sit back down, he noticed how there was something stuck in the sand right where she was sitting. He grabbed it and realized it was a Polaroid picture of a bed of roses, probably taken in his backyard. But that wasn't the only thing. The photo had something written in the white part of its frame. He read it and a huge grin appeared on his face.

…

**AN:**

Hey guys.

First of all I want to thank each and every one of you who reviews the last chapter. I wasn't expecting such enthusiasm and it really inspired me to keep writing. Thank you so much!

Now, tell me what you think of this chapter and REVIEW! Please. Your reviews mean the world to me.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I really do. Things are starting to fall into place between these two, but don't expect them to be kissing and making out just yet!

But what's written in the picture. Want to know? Any idea?

Anyways, keep reading and keep reviewing.

Love, Annie.

PS: English is not my 1st language. Any mistakes you find, PM me so I can correct them.

PS2: One of you requested that this story changed to M in the future and at first I wasn't sure about that (because I never wrote M rated chapters between teenagers before), but when the time comes, I think I can do something around that.

PS3: I hope I'm not falling into the stereotypical of the blonde bimbo with Shelly. Please don't think I am. Shelly can be really smart as you'll see in future chapters. ;)


	3. the Polaroid picture

"So what happened last night?" Jackson asked Finn, as he threw the basketball to his friend.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…after I left, did you and Lila hook up?" After April left, Jackson met up with Finn at his house and now they were shooting at the net just for fun.

"Hum…no."

"Are you going to?"

"Maybe...who knows?" He replied, throwing the ball back at Jackson. "Lila's cute."

"You've always had a crush on her. Admit it."

"What? No."

"Don't lie to me." Jackson said, running before dunking the ball.

"I'm not lying." He replied, grabbing the ball as it fell down. "You know me…Lila's not my type, but this year…I mean, she looks hot."

"She looks hot?"

"She does." Finn said, dribbling the ball. "She doesn't look like a little girl anymore."

"Right."

"And I mean…I'm not saying I'm gonna date her or anything." He continued, passing Jackson and throwing the ball into the net. "But, you never know what might happen."

"Yeah." His friend continued talking, but for a moment Jackson stopped listening to Finn. He focused all his attention in something else…in her. She was walking home, still wearing the yellow dress she was wearing a few hours ago, when they talked for the last time, and her hair was still on a simple braid. 'She is probably back from the city', he thought. She didn't look at him or even realized he was staring at her. He stretched his neck as she started disappearing behind a wall and that was when he felt something hit him.

"What the hell?" He said, lifting his hand to his face. Finn had just hit him with the ball.

"Sorry, man." His friend apologized, taking two steps to see the damage. "You were distracted."

"You didn't have to hit me with the freaking ball."

"I didn't do it on purpose. I thought you were paying attention."

"Yeah, well…"

"Where you were looking at anyways?" Finn asked, turning his attention to where Jackson was facing a few seconds ago.

"What?" He said, looking at the spot but quickly turning his face away. "Oh, it was nothing….nevermind."

"Anyways, almost forgot to tell you." Finn said, as Jackson passed him the ball again. "I got a fake ID"

"Why do you need a fake ID?"

"To vote!" Jackson gave him a confused look. Finn was definitely not this interested in politics. But he quickly said. "To go clubbing, of course."

"What?"

"I can get you one too and we could easily sneak in." He noticed how Jackson was looking at him with a weird look on his face. "What? C'mon, Jackson…"

"No, I don't think so."

"But…"

"I'm not in the mood to go to a club."

"I'm not saying tonight. Maybe we can try…"

"Finn, I'm really not in the mood." He insisted, knowing how crazy his friend could be. "But you can always ask Lila…"

His friend turned to him and with a fake laugh, he passed him the ball with violence.

…

Jackson was sitting on his bed, back against the headboard and phone in his hand. He had just finished talking to his mother.

He looked at the time. It was a little past 10PM and he was bored. His mother just gave him a lecture about him not picking up the phone to talk to her and his head was still buzzing. Why did she have to be such a big pain in the ass? She was the one who chose to send him miles away from home and not coming along.

He got up from his bed and put down his phone. He had no plans with his friends tonight, but somehow he didn't feel the need to call Finn or meet up with him.

Jackson sat down by his desk and looked for the Polaroid pic he had found a few hours earlier. 'Where did I put it?', he thought as he searched for it. He was sure he left it there when his mother called and he had to put it down.

Then he looked at the floor, right where his feet were. 'There it is'. He picked it up and held it on his hand. He had been staring at the picture for hours, just wondering if it meant what he thought it meant. He had already memorized every detail of the image: it was a simple picture of a bed of red roses; those roses on his backyard, right by the pool area – he knew it, because he checked it out; the picture was marked by a black permanent marker; if that was really her picture – and he was sure that it was – then her handwriting was beautiful.

How could one simple sentence drive him crazy like that? And how could he feel this crazy about one silly photograph? He had to stop thinking about this girl. She was starting to drive him insane, because she was the only thing we could think about and he did not like it. This had to stop. He was not going to let a girl drive him crazy like that.

With this in mind, he opened the last drawer of his desk and took one last look at the picture, before throwing it in there. Just as he was about to close the drawer he noticed a pack of cigarettes hidden in the back. He reached for them, remembering how they were probably from last summer.

He wasn't a smoker, but he and Finn used to sneak out of their dorms in boarding school together and smoke cigarettes as a sign of their rebellious ways. He grabbed the pack of cigarettes and, without taking a look back at the picture, he closed the drawer. Then, he looked for a lighter and when he found one, he put it in his pocket.

The pack was almost empty, with only four cigarettes left, and he was bored. So, he decided to go downstairs and smoke a cigarette. Jackson took one out and hid it in his pocket. Then, he put on his shoes and headed downstairs.

He was walking down the stairs when he saw Mindy coming up. "Hey. I was going to check on you." She said, stopping in the middle of the stairs.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I'm just gonna go and watch some TV." He lied, as he continued going down.

"Okay." She replied. "Well, I'm going to bed. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, that's fine." He said, passing her by. "Don't worry about me."

"Okay, then."

"See you tomorrow."

"Don't go to bed late." He heard her say, as he turned his back on her and headed to the living room.

He turned on the TV, just to make sure she bought his lie, but after a few minutes waiting, he finally got up from the couch and opened one of the living room French doors that gave access to the garden.

He stepped outside and took a few steps in the darkness, trying to find a good place to smoke his cigarette in peace.

When he found a good spot, he put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it up. Once it was lit, he pulled a little smoke into his mouth. After a few seconds, he pulled away the cigarette and after letting the smoke cool down, he blew it out. The truth was he hadn't smoked in months and even though it was not his favorite thing to do, it eased him down. Or at least it was supposed to, since it was doing nothing for him right now. He wanted to forget the girl and the picture, but he just couldn't.

That was when he heard a sound coming from behind him. He turned around, wondering what it was.

He noticed it was coming from the pool and, as soon as he realized who that might be, he cursed the moment he stepped outside the door.

Inhaling one more time, he started walking towards the pool area. There she was…swimming, just like he found her the other night. He took a few steps forward, stopping right by the edge of the pool.

That was when she stopped and looked up. "So, you've been using my pool!" He said, holding the cigarette in his hand.

"Gosh, why do you keep scaring me like this?" She replied, giving him an annoyed look. It was the third time he scared her and she did not appreciate it.

"You're not supposed to be using my pool, you know." He said, taking the cigarette to his mouth to smoke again.

"I know…I know." She replied, swimming to the ladder to get off the pool.

"Why at night?" He asked, expelling the smoke.

"So that no one sees me." She replied again, starting to climb up the pool ladder. "My dad can't even dream that I've been using it."

"Oh really?" He asked, not realizing he was staring at her wet body. She was wearing the same bikini as the other night, when he first caught her there, but because he was closer this time he could actually see every inch of her body.

"Yeah, he…" She continued, as she stepped out of the pool and walked to one where she left the towel. "…he doesn't like it when I hang around the property like this." She started cleaning herself up, wrapping the towel around her body, without noticing his stare. "Please don't tell anyone you saw me, okay?"

He smiled and simply nodded his head. Of course he was not going to say anything. "So, how was the city?" He decided to change the subject.

"Hum…busy." She replied, stepping closer to him. "I have no idea how people live there."

"You're not used to big cities?"

"No." She said, shaking her head. She stopped right in from of him and looked right into his eyes. "Are you?"

"Yeah." He replied, noticing how the hair on her arms were raising, probable because of the chilly breeze. "I'm actually from Boston."

"Boston?" She asked, biting her bottom lip and giving him a daring look. "Big city boy, huh!" He smiled at her, but didn't have time to reply, since she looked down and noticed the cigarette he was holding in his hand. "Didn't know you smoked."

He raised his hand and looked at the cigarette as well. "I don't…"

"Smoking is a really nasty habit, you know?" She cut him off.

"I don't smoke. I was just…"

"And it's really bad for your health too." She went on, ignoring him. "You know what…I'm gonna give you a little hand and help you with that."

"With what?" He asked, realizing a second too late what she meant.

She passed by him and pushed him into the pool, where he fell completely clothed. Then, she turned around to leave, but before she left he still got the change to shout out. "Why did you do that for?"

She turned to him, with a smirk on her face and replied. "To help you turn off that disgusting cigarette." Then she finally left.

He got out of the pool completely wet and started walking home. He didn't know if he was more furious or more amused with her and her behavior. She was different than any other girls he knew and the nerve she had was something new to him.

When he finally made it to his bedroom, he stepped inside and took off his shirt. Then, he walked to his desk and opened the drawer where a few minutes before he left the picture.

He grabbed the picture and stared at it again. He was so angry at her. He felt humiliated. However, as he read what was on the picture one more time, the anger slowly went away. Then, he started laughing out loud.

As he walked to the bathroom he kept his eyes on the picture. _"He gets on my every nerve and yet I can't stop thinking about him."_

He smiled to himself. "April…April…I guess you're not the only one." He said out loud, reading the simple message written in the picture's white frame.

If what she wrote was about him, then he didn't know what to think about it. He couldn't get her out of his mind and thinking about her was starting to drive him crazy. But the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about him either, made him feel a certain type of joy inside.

He stepped into the bathroom and place the picture on top of the sink. Then he turned on the shower and took off the rest of his clothes.

…

The next day, Jackson and his friends decided to meet at his house and hang out there. The day was a little bit cloudy and they decided to watch a movie together.

"I don't want to watch a film about war!" Lila protested, as Finn insisted on watching a war movie.

"C'mon, Lila. It's not that bad."

"I'm with Lila." Ava said, raising her hand. "I want to watch something fun. A movie about war is not funny."

"Just decide already." Jackson demanded. "We've been sitting here for the past half an hour trying to decide what to watch and at this pace we won't be watching anything any time soon."

"I agree with Jackson." Shelly said, moving from where she was sitting, next to Lila, to sit by his side. "At this point I don't really care what we're watching as long as we're watching something."

"It's Lila's fault." Finn defended himself, raising a finger to his friend.

"My fault?"

"Your fault!" He said again. "You don't want to watch anything…"

"Ok, ok…" Jackson said, standing up and looking at the group. "While you guys decide what you want to watch, I'm going to make some popcorn." Then, he left the living room and walked to the kitchen.

As soon as Jackson turned his back on the group Shelly got up too and informed them she was going to the bathroom. However, she made a quick turn and started going up the stairs.

Without anyone noticing, she reached Jackson's bedroom and opened the door.

She noticed how his bed was impeccably made – probably Mindy made it that morning; how his laptop was on his desk; how his sneakers were perfectly aligned inside his closet; how he left a towel on the bathroom floor and finally how on top of the bathroom sink there was a strange picture of roses.

She grabbed the picture and read what was on it. 'This is not Jackson's handwriting', she thought.

.

Meanwhile, Jackson walked into the kitchen and noticed a redhead girl with her back to him, leaning towards the kitchen countertop. "What are you doing here?"

She jumped with the sound of his voice and turned around. "Hey, you?" She said, thinking how his way of scaring her was becoming something familiar. "I'm just helping your housekeeper."

"Why?" He wondered, stepping closer to her and noticing a bag of groceries behind her.

"She went grocery shopping and my dad asked me help her bring the groceries inside." She informed him, pointing at the bag behind her.

"Oh, ok."

"Sorry, I was just about to leave."

She turned on her heels and started walking towards the kitchen backdoor, but he stopped her. "You know, we need to talk about last night."

"Why?" She said, stopping and turning to him again.

He took a few steps to face her. "Well, you pushed me into the pool last night."

"For a good reason." She said. He noticed how she was wearing pair of jean shorts and a simple white tshirt. Her hair was curly, covering her shoulders and her cheeks were just a little bit blushed.

"A good reason?"

She smiled. And how he loved her smile. It was a shy smile, but she was definitely not a shy girl. "Yes. You were smoking."

"Right." He said, taking another step closer. He noticed the smell of her perfume and how delightful it was. "But I'm not a smoker."

"I don't care." She quickly replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't care if you are or not a smoker. Last night I caught you smoking."

"And I caught you using my pool."

"Well, I don't always use your pool."

"And I don't always smoke." He replied back. They were so close that if was the first time he got the chance to really look into her eyes. They were beautiful, in his opinion. For a moment he was completely lost in her smile, in her eyes and in the smell of her perfume.

"Then I guess we're even." She said, with a confident tone.

"Are we? 'Cause you pushed me into a pool. I didn't do anything when I caught you using the pool."

"And are you going to do anything about it?" She asked, in a daring tone.

He took a second to really look at her. She was so different from all the other girls he knew. Here they were, talking face to face, and he couldn't read any emotion in her besides her sassiness. She was playing him, but he knew how to play this game as well.

"Who knows?" He said, giving her his best smile. "Maybe I will."

"And what do you plan to do about it?"

He was about to say something, when he heard someone entering the room. Jackson and April were so close to each other that he had to take a step back to look at who was coming.

"Oh my Gosh, Jackson…" He heard Shelly's voice from behind him. "What is this?"

They both turned their faces to Shelly as she entered the kitchen with the Polaroid picture in her hand.

April stared at what she was holding and in a second she realized what it was. Jackson realized it too and turned to April just in time to see her face completely change.

"Why is she holding that, Jackson?" April asked, not looking at him.

"I can explain, I…" He said, walking towards Shelly to take the picture from her hand. "It's nothing…I can explain."

"How?" April said, mortified with the realization of what was happening.

"Who is she, Jackson?" Shelly asked, looking at April with a confused look.

"I can explain." Jackson said, finally taking the picture out of Shelly's hand. Then he turned to April, but it was useless. She was already gone. "April? APRIL?" He shout out.

"Who is she?" Shelly insisted, more confused than ever.

"Damn it, Shelly."

…

**AN:**

Hey guys,

New chapter!

I'm just gonna tell you guys that things are going to start moving from here. I've already planned the next chapter and I think it will be a good one.

But 1st, tell me what you think about this chapter?

Please leave a review!

Thank you so much for all your reviews and support. They mean everything to me!

I'm just hoping you're liking the way this is going! Tell me your opinion, please

I'll update soon.

Love, Annie.

PS: English is not my 1st language.

PS2: I know that Jackson smoking is a little bit odd, but it's just to show his kind of rebellious side. Don't take it too personal, ok?!


	4. summer rain

"Oh my Gosh, Jackson…" He heard Shelly's voice from behind him. "What is this?"

They both turned their faces to Shelly as she entered the kitchen with the Polaroid picture in her hand.

April stared at what she was holding and in a second she realized what it was. Jackson realized it too and turned to April just in time to see her face completely change.

"Why is she holding that, Jackson?" April asked, not looking at him.

"I can explain, I…" He said, walking towards Shelly to take the picture from her hand. "It's nothing…I can explain."

"How?" April said, mortified with the realization of what was happening.

"Who is she, Jackson?" Shelly asked, looking at April with a confused look.

"I can explain." Jackson said, finally taking the picture out of Shelly's hand. Then he turned to April, but it was useless. She was already gone. "April? APRIL?" He shout out.

"Who is she?" Shelly insisted, more confused than ever.

"Damn it, Shelly." Jackson turned to Shelly. He said it so loud that she jumped unconsciously.

"What?" She wondered, noticing how his face was now completely red. He passed by her, not caring that he bumped into her shoulder in the process, almost making her stumble. Shelly placed her hand right where he hit her and gave him a strange look before deciding to go after him. "Jackson?"

He walked across the kitchen without bothering to reply. He was furious with her and had to leave the room to prevent anything bad from happening. "Jackson, are you crazy?" He heard her voice coming from behind him. Then, as he was near the living room's entrance, he stopped and turned around to face. "Oh, hell no!" He said. She stopped too, realizing in that moment all the anger spread in his eyes. "You're the crazy person here, Shelly."

"What?"

"YOU…you act like a fucking crazy person." He shouted at her, not being able to control his anger anymore. "How did you get this picture?" He asked, holding the photograph right in front of her eyes.

"I…"

"You broke into my room, didn't you?" He cut her off, in a more aggressive tone now. "You broke into my room and took the picture."

"I was just going to the bathroom and I guess I just…" She started, using her sweetest voice, trying to explain her actions.

Jackson nodded his head. "Just admit it. You entered my room without permission and took it." He was so furious at her that he had to close his wrists to contain his anger. "Why did you do that?"

"I didn't…I"

"You're lying!" He said, almost yelling. "I'm losing my temper with you, Shelly. What made you think that it was okay for you sneak into my room and go through my things?"

"What happened?" Jackson heard Finn's voice coming from behind him. That was when he realized that they were not alone and that their friends were actually hearing their argument. He turned around and saw Finn, Lila and Ava standing, watching the scene with horrified looks on their faces.

"Jackson is freaking out over nothing." Shelly said, trying to get some support from her friends. She knew the screwed up going into his bedroom and taking that picture. But he was being more aggressive than she had ever seen him and she didn't understand why. It was only a picture. What could be so important about it?

"Shelly broke into my room and went through my things." He replied to Finn.

"Ok, calm down." Finn said, trying to light up the mood.

"Calm down?" Jackson asked loudly, nodding his head. Why was Finn defending her?

Finn took a few steps forward and placed himself between Jackson and Shelly. He realized how nervous his friend was and even though he knew Jackson could never hit a girl, he also knew that Shelly was could be as provocative as she wanted to and that could only aggravate Jackson's anger. "Everybody needs to calm down." He replied, placing a hand on Jackson's shoulder.

"Jackson was talking to a girl in the kitchen." Shelly crossed her arms against her chest, like she was being the victim in this whole situation, and turned to Jackson. "Who was she?"

"The gardener's daughter." The words fled from Jackson's mouth without him being able to control them. He didn't mean to tell them who she was. They didn't need to know who she was.

"The gardener's daughter?" Lila asked, stepping forward as well, more interested in this story as ever.

"You were talking to the gardener's daughter?" Ava said, scandalized by his confession.

He knew that he had made a mistake and how judgmental his friends could be. In their world, people who didn't have the same status were below them and he knew that the fact that he was seen talking to the gardener's daughter was going to be topic of their criticism.

"Did she give you that picture?" Shelly asked, pointing at the picture. All her friends turned their heads to what Jackson was holding in his hand.

"What picture?" Lila wondered. Her curiosity was increasing by the second. She was the kind of girl who lived for this kind of drama.

"That's none of your damn business." Jackson replied, ignoring Lila and everybody else's stares.

"Are you seeing her now?" Shelly asked again, remembering what the picture said. "I read it, you know."

"Read what?" Lila asked, turning to Jackson's hand and trying to take a scoop at the picture.

"The picture. What's in the picture." Shelly replied, looking straight at Jackson. "It says something about not being able to stop thinking about you." Jackson gave him a furious stare. He noticed how she was talking in a daring tone, almost trying to trigger some emotion from him. "Is it her? The picture…is it hers?"

"OUT!" Jackson yelled at her. "I want you out of here, Shelly." He couldn't contain his anger any longer and he was definitely not going to let Shelly play with him. He was sick and tired of her attitude and this felt like the last straw. "I want you all out of here."

"What?" Shelly asked, completely astonished by his sudden rage.

Jackson moved and started walking towards the front door. "Out! All of you…out."

"C'mon, Jackson." Finn said, following his friend to the entrance.

The girls stayed behind with Shelly, who did not move from where she was standing. "He's completely mental." Ava whispered, starting to feel a little too offended by his behavior. They had never seen Jackson acting like this. It was actually the first time they saw him lose his temper completely.

"I didn't do anything wrong." Shelly defended herself to her friends. "He's freaking out, but I didn't do anything."

"Of course not, honey." Lila agreed, supporting her friend.

"Jackson, don't be like this. You know Shelly. You know she can be a little…" Finn said, trying to calm him down.

Jackson turned around and stopped when he realized that the girls weren't following him. "Didn't you hear me?" Jackson cut Finn off, ignoring his comment. "I want you out." He said, talking directly to Shelly and her friends.

The girls looked at each other and quickly realized it was for the best to start moving. So, they walked toward the living room area and grabbed their things while Jackson waited impatiently for them to get their things and take off. "Gosh, Jackson…you're being way too weird about…"

"Don't talk to me right now, Shelly. Just go!" He replied, not letting her finish her sentence.

"Jackson…" Finn said, trying to get his attention.

He turned to Finn and, with an apologetic tone, said "Sorry, man. You too. I need to be alone."

"Okay, but look. Shelly is Shelly. You know how she is and you know how…" Finn starting saying, but there was no use. He knew his friend too well and looking at him, he realized there was nothing he could say to change his mind.

"I'm tired of her thinking she can do whatever she wants and get away with it." Jackson replied, starting to move again towards the front door. The girls had all their belonging with them and it was time for them to leave.

"Jackson, I swear I didn't…" Shelly tried to defend herself, but there was no use. Everybody followed him and he opened the door.

"I'm done!" Jackson firmly said, as he opened the door to let them out. Then he shut the door violently and in that moment Shelly realized that the girl in the kitchen was not just the gardener's daughter; she actually meant something to him and she had to find out why.

When Jackson found himself alone, he took a deep breath. He knew he had screwed up and maybe overreacted, because now they were going keep wondering about April and the picture.

"What happened?" He looked up and saw Mindy appearing from inside another room. "I heard someone screaming."

"It's nothing." He said, trying to dismiss the situation.

"Where are your friends?" She asked, sensing something had happened between them.

"Hum…they left."

"They left? Why?"

"They had to go somewhere." He lied. He didn't want Mindy to know what just happened. "Hey, hum…did you see the gardener's daughter?"

She nodded, knowing he didn't want to talk about his friends, but at the same time finding his question a little bit odd. "No, she was in the kitchen helping me with the grocery bags but then she disappeared. Why?"

"Nothing." Jackson needed to talk to her and explain everything. They had a complicated relationship and this could only make things worse. She was probably furious at him, for taking what belonged to her, for not giving it back, for having somewhere else seeing it. He just didn't understand why she ran off like that. She didn't even gave him time to explain himself.

"Are you okay?" Mindy asked, noticing how lost in his thoughts he was.

"Yeah. I just have a huge headache." He said, not too far from the truth. The whole situation messed up with his head and he just needed to think how he was going to talk to her again. He figured it was best to leave her alone now and not go after her – even though he was not exactly sure where to look for her. So, he started walking towards staircase. "I'm just gonna go to my bedroom now and get some rest."

"Sure." Mindy said, watching him climb up the stairs. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No, I'm good." Jackson replied, before quickly running up the stairs.

When he entered his room, he fell into his bed. He still had the picture in his hand and his anger towards Shelly started growing again. What the hell was she thinking? How could she invade his personal space like this? And made her think it would be okay for her to approach him with the picture as if they had something together? They were nothing, but friends. Actually, he wasn't even sure if that was true as he was just tired of having friends like her.

He stared at the picture and thought about April and her face when she saw Shelly holding it. She looked completely mortified and he was having a hard time understanding why. It was only a picture and of course what it said was somehow personal, but she didn't have to run away like she did.

He read the picture again. _'He gets on my every nerve and yet I can't stop thinking about him.' _He had already memorized the simple sentence, but every time he read it he had different feelings about. What if she wasn't talking about him? What if it was just a coincidence? Since the day they met they got on each other's nerves, but maybe she was talking about someone else. Maybe he jumped into the conclusion she was writing about him. Maybe she didn't think about him at all. Maybe he misunderstood it all.

Somehow, he wished he was wrong this time. April was the only thing he could think about lately and, in a way, he wanted her to think about him too. It was kind of crazy how in only a few days this girl messed up with his head. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He just wished she was going through the same things too.

…

_The next day_

April looked through the kitchen window and checked the weather. If yesterday the sky was a little bit cloudy, then today it was definitely going to rain.

She poured herself a glass of water and as she drank it, she kept staring out the window. Yesterday's events kept running through her mind. After her encounter with Jackson and the other girl she hid in her bedroom and didn't leave the house for the rest of the day. She didn't want to see him or talk to him or even be in his presence. So, she stayed inside, hiding from him.

She didn't know how he got the picture or why, but the fact was he had it and him and that girl were making fun of her. They probably figured all out and she knew the kind of people they were. She put the glass down on the counter top and for a moment she got lost in her thoughts. "Yes, they were definitely making fun of me." She said out loud, without even realizing it.

"What?"

She turned around and saw her father walk into the kitchen. "Oh, nothing." She replied, thinking that he probably heard her say something. "I was just talking about the weather."

"This crazy weather." Joe Kepner said, walking towards the fridge. "One day is hot and sunny, the other is cloudy and rainy."

"Yeah…crazy, right?" She said, glad he didn't listen to what she said.

Joe opened the fridge and grabbed a soda. "Are you okay, honey?" He asked, with his back to April.

She started moving towards the door. "Why do you ask?"

"You've been stuck inside your bedroom since yesterday. That's not normal. You love being outdoors." He replied, turning to her and opening the soda can.

"I'm fine." She said, smiling at him, trying to hide her reasons. "Actually, I'm gonna go outside now." It was the first thing that came into her mind and the last thing she wished she had said. It was the worst excuse she could think off, because she feared going outside and seeing Jackson.

"Now?" He asked, looking at the window. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm just gonna take a walk around the house."

"Well, be careful. I think it might start raining soon." Her father warned her. She knew he was probably right, but decided to leave anyways.

"Okay, daddy." She said, smiling, before turning around to leave.

…

Meanwhile, Jackson was in the living room watching something boring on TV when he heard Mindy walking into the room. "What's wrong with you?" She asked, staring at him, with her arms crossed against her chest and a suspicious look on her face.

He was lying on the couch, holding the remote in his hand and staring blankly at the TV for the past hour. Jackson looked at her from the corner of his eye and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing."

"Jackson Avery, I know you better than you know yourself and I know for a fact that something is wrong with you." When he didn't reply, she took a few steps and placed herself right in front of the TV.

"What?" He asked, annoyed by her insistence. She had been pressing him into talking about what happened with his friends since dinner time, the day before, when he almost didn't touch his food.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong with you or do I have to find out by myself?"

He didn't want to talk about it, especially with her. He just wanted her to leave him alone. He noticed how she was giving him a strange look, probably trying to figure out the reason for his sudden behavior. He chose not to say anything again. It was for the best to keep his silence, because he knew she had her ways of making him talk, even when he didn't want to.

"Okay." She said, nodding her head. "You're not talking to me…that's fine. But I know something's wrong."

Jackson stayed quiet, just pretending to be watching what was happening on the TV, as if he could see through her. He noticed how she moved her arms from her chest down to her waist, but continued looking at him in such a way that if felt like she was trying to read his mind. Mindy had always played an important part in Jackson's life. She was his second mother and she was right when she said she knew him better than he knew himself.

"Is this about the gardener's daughter?"

His heart almost skipped a beat when he heard her ask that. "What?" He quickly said, moving in the couch. "No, no…What?"

She noticed how he suddenly adopted a protective position, almost jumping from his seat. "Interesting."

"What? No. Where did you get that idea?" He asked, with a stressful tone. Jackson sat up on the couch and reached for his sneakers.

"You asked me about her." She replied, trying to hide the smirk on her face. "I know how to do the math."

"Well, there's no math to be done there." He said, putting on his shoes as quickly as he could.

"Huh, huh."

"I mean it." He defended himself, even though he knew it had no use. She had him all figured out and there was no escape possible. "I don't even know her…I…"

"Sweetheart, you don't have to lie to me." She said, walking towards him.

He looked up at her when she stopped in front of him. "I'm not lying…"

Mindy placed one hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I only had the chance to talk to her once or twice, but she seems to be a really nice girl."

Jackson ignored her comment and simply shook his head. Then, he finished tying his sneakers and got up from the couch. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

Mindy grinned to herself watching that scene, realizing how nervous he looked with the whole conversation. "Are you running away from me?" She asked, knowing how he was going to lie to her and tell her 'no'.

He grabbed his sweater and turned his back on her. "No. I'm just going for a walk." With that, he left.

.

Jackson stepped outside and felt the chilly breeze coming from the ocean. He looked up and noticed how the sky was filled with big dark clouds. It was probably going to start raining soon. Yet, he decided to step on the grass and walk away from the house.

How could Mindy read him so well? Especially when he didn't say anything at all? She definitely had some sort of power he was yet to find out about. And knew that for the second time he overreacted. He overreacted with friends and now with Mindy and now everybody knew that April messed up with his head. He didn't even understand how that could be. But it was the truth: that girl messed up with his head from the first moment he laid his eyes on her.

Jackson took a few steps forward, lost in his own thoughts. The wind was blowing stronger than usual and in the distance he could heard the waves crash violently. He knew that a storm was coming, which was relatively weird considering the summer was only beginning now. 'It doesn't make any sense.' He said to himself. Then he couldn't help but to let out a small laughter. Of course it didn't make sense. Nothing in his summer was making sense.

He placed his hands on his sweater pocket and touched the Polaroid picture he hid in there when he got dressed that morning. He didn't know he felt the need to carry the photograph with him or why he was starting to feel so attached to it. This damn picture was the reason why he felt like crap and by now he regretted the moment he picked it up from the sand. He couldn't stop thinking about her nor could he stop reading the picture and wondering if she felt the same way about him.

He walked with his hands in his pockets towards the edge of the property. The garden was empty as the strong wind blew away the flowers and the trees. He had always wondered why his mother bought this huge house, with this huge backyard, if he was the only one using it during the summer. She was never there and if it weren't for his friends, he was sure he would feel a little lonely in this gigantic mansion all by himself.

Jackson stopped when he reached the wooden path that gave direct access to the beach. He was sure than in a few minutes the first water drops were going to start falling down. However, he didn't fear the rain and, without thinking twice, he covered his head with his sweatshirt's hood and started walking through the wooden path.

As he approached the beach, he looked amazed at the strength of the ocean. The waves were bigger than he had ever seen and the wind blew the sand away in all direction. For a second, he allowed himself to take it all in. It was amazing how powerful nature could be.

The past few days had been the most intense days of his life and summer was only beginning. He had to talk to April and explain everything. She was still sort of a mystery to him. A mystery he wanted to unwind.

As he thought about her, a single drop fell from the sky and landed right on the top of his nose. He lifted up a hand to clean it up. It was definitely going to start raining, but he didn't feel like moving. It was like the ocean was pulling him in, making him stay right where he was.

He got out of the wooden path and took a couple steps forward, walking in the sand now. And that was when he turned his head to his right side and saw a figure. He stared at it a minute longer, but it didn't take much for him to realize who it was.

She was a few steps away from him, facing the ocean, dressed in a simple white summer dress with a soft pink cardigan on top. Her hair was blowing in the wind and her arms were crossed against her chest.

Jackson thought about approaching her for a second, but maybe it was not the best idea. It was probably not the best timing, but he had to talk to her. This could also be the last time he laid his eyes on her, since she could simply leave. He didn't know much about her, so everything was possible.

He started walking towards her as more and more little raindrops fell down from the sky. That was when he noticed she turned to her left side, probably thinking it was time to leave. However, instead of taking a few steps forwards, she froze and stayed right where she was.

Jackson wondered if she didn't move because she wanted to talk to him too or because she didn't recognize who he was and got scared. So, he took the hood off his head and started running to her.

April didn't know what to do. This was what she had been fearing and she could not believe that it was actually happening. How could he possible find her there? Actually, what the heck was he doing there?

"Don't!" She shouted when he was closer to her. "I don't want to talk to you."

"What?" Jackson asked, not sure if he understood what she meant.

"Stop!" She raised one finger and held it in the air. Then, she unconsciously started taking a few steps back. "I don't want to see you."

"April?" He didn't stop and kept on walking towards her.

"NO! Stop!" She demanded, but he ignored her.

The raindrops were bigger and April could feel her clothes getting wet now. He wasn't stopping and, somehow, in a panic she turned her back to him and started running.

He watched as she started running away from him completely clueless as to what to do. "April?" He shouted, but she didn't reply. "Can you please stop?"

She didn't know why she freaked out like that or why she started running, but it was an impulse she wasn't able to control. She was so embarrassed that she just didn't want to see him right now.

Jackson chased after her, confused to where she was going. He was so close to her that he decided to stop her. So, he placed himself in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. She was forced to stop and stare at him. Her heart was beating fast and she was almost out of breath. "April, what the hell?"

"I don't want to see you." She replied, feeling his strong hands through her thin cardigan.

"Why?" He asked, not letting her go.

"Because you're an annoying, rich kid, with a bad temper and a horrible attitude and I hate you." The words slipped out of her mouth and it took her a second to realize what she had just said. She placed her hands in front of her mouth as surprised as he was.

"What?" He was said, taking his hands off her shoulders and giving her an incredulous look. He was not expecting her to say that. He knew they had a tough start, but he never thought she could actually hate him. He felt a deep weight fall inside his chest.

Then the little raindrops turned into something much bigger and the rain started to fall down all at once.

…

**AN:**

Hey guys,

Only a few notes:

Thank you for all the amazing reviews

Keep reading and reviewing – tell me what you think!

Watch out because I'll be updating very very soon. Next chapter is going to be really interesting.

Follow me on tumblr: aprilkepner-greys; follow me on twitter: i_annie2

And note that English is not my 1st language and that I try my best! I also finished writing this at 2.30 AM so any typos you might find, sorry. I'll try to find them and fix them.

Much love,

Annie.


	5. the perfect storm

"I don't want to see you." She replied, feeling his strong hands through her thin cardigan.

"Why?" He asked, not letting her go.

"Because you're an annoying, rich kid, with a bad temper and a horrible attitude and I hate you." The words slipped out of her mouth and it took her a second to realize what she had just said. She placed her hands in front of her mouth as surprised as he was.

"What?" He was said, taking his hands off her shoulders and giving her an incredulous look. He was not expecting her to say that. He knew they had a tough start, but he never thought she could actually hate him. He felt a deep weight fall inside his chest.

Then the little raindrops turned into something much bigger and the rain started to fall down all at once.

"Is that what you think?" Jackson asked, looking at her incredulously.

She was about to reply when a thunder fell down from the sky not too far away from where they were standing. April jumped when she heard its loud and strong sound. "Oh my gosh!" She said, knowing that they were too close for their own good.

She looked around and realized they were actually further away from Jackson's house than she thought they were. She shouldn't have ran like she did, because now it was pouring rain and they were in the middle of a thunderstorm. The beach was definitely not the best place to be when there were lightning bolts around. "C'mon." April suddenly took his hand and started running.

Jackson didn't understand what she was doing, but decided to grab her hand and run with her. She as leading the way, as the rain kept falling down more aggressively by the second. Then he noticed to where she was running. It was a property two houses away from his. "What are you doing?"

"Just run."

They started running through the wooden path of one of Jackson's neighbor's house until they reached the entrance of the property. Since it didn't have a gate, April simply made her way through the empty garden. She didn't have a plan; she just wanted to get out of the rain as quickly as possible. Then, she spotted a big pool in the middle of the backyard and headed in that direction.

Jackson didn't know what she was doing or where she was going. He decided to follow her without any more questions. However, he was realizing now that they were in some other person's property and he wasn't sure of if that was even legal. "April?" He asked, as the rain kept falling down violently. She didn't reply, probably because she didn't hear him as another thunder that hit the skies above them.

She ran with him by the hand until she reached a little shed hidden behind the pool. She had spotted that place from across the garden. So, never letting go of Jackson's hand, she placed her free hand on the shed's doorknob, hoping it would be open. Luckily, it was open and she walked in, followed by him.

April looked around the shed and realized it was used to keep gardening tools and other things belonging to the pool. Then, she noticed how she was still holding Jackson's hand. It was the first time their hands touched and she didn't know why but it felt like they were glued to each other. For some reason she didn't want to let go of her hand and he didn't seem to want to let go of hers either. They were both soaking wet, but his hand was warm. He closed the door with his free hand, but then turned around and she could feel his eyes stare at her deeply. The tension in the room was undeniable and she could almost swear she felt some sort of electricity run from his hand to hers.

But then she remembered what she said to him in the beach. Regret filled her heart and as she thought about it, he let go of her hand. It was like he could read mind and started thinking about it too.

"What the hell?" He asked, quickly taking his hand from hers. "Are you crazy?"

"What?"

"This is somebody's property." She could notice the change in his features and the tone of his voice raising. "This is trespassing, you know that? Are you trying to get us arrested?"

He took two steps forward, turning his back on her. "Oh, c'mon don't be so dramatic." She said, watching him stretch his body to look through a tiny window placed on the top one of the shed's walls. "I was trying not to get us killed."

He turned around at gave her a strange look. "Really? Killed?" Then, he turned his back on her again and kept peeking outside. "And I'm the one being dramatic!"

She shook her head, starting to feel frustrated with the way he was acting. "There's a freaking thunderstorm outside. Do you know how dangerous it is to be near the ocean in these kind of situations?"

"You put us in this situation." Jackson said, attacking her. He had his back turned to her and didn't care to look. He was furious at her. "Who the hell runs like you did?"

In that moment she realized what this was all about. He was probably mad at her for running, but she had her reasons for doing what she did. It was probably not the smartest thing to do, but still…she had her reasons.

"Freaking crazy person…running away like that when a storm is coming." He was obviously talking to himself, not caring if she heard him or not. "This is all her fault. Now here we are…hiding in somebody else's property, waiting for this rain to go away and…"

"Hey, you ran after me. I told you to go away…you chose to run after me." She cut him off, decided to defend herself.

"Because you were acting like I did something wrong to you when I didn't."

"What?" She asked, in a high-pitched tone. So he thought he did nothing to her. Did he forget what she saw the other night?

"Yes." He replied, turning around, almost shouting. "And then you say you hate me? What did I ever did to you for you to hate me?" She was taken aback with his words, not expecting him to explode like this. April didn't even have time to reply, because he went on with his rant. "You say I'm annoying, you say I have a bad attitude, then let me tell you something…" He stepped closer to her and since the shed was so small, their bodies were pretty close. "…you don't know me, you have no idea who I am and for the record…you don't have an easy temper either. You're nosy and you keep appearing in places you're not supposed to be and doing things you're not supposed to do. You keep thinking that you're always right and don't even get me started on how you rude you are."

April crossed her arms against her chest, feeling the wetness of her dress on her skin. She wanted to say something, but she felt like her brain was in a complete black. She was taking a defensive position for now, but it was not in her nature to keep quiet when someone attacked her like that. He was saying some pretty harsh things about her and she wanted to defend herself, but her tongue was stuck. She wanted to deny what he was saying, but she her she couldn't find any words to reply.

"And then you say you hate me because I'm rich? Like…why? Isn't that what you meant when you said that I'm an annoying rich kid? Do you hate me for the simple fact that I'm rich?" He continued, almost not taking any time to breathe. "'Cause if it is then let me break it to you…it is not my fault that I was born in a rich family. It's not my fault that I'm rich."

When he stopped talking, he took a deep breath, as if he had emptied himself from everything he was keeping inside. April didn't speak. Instead, she looked down to the floor and shook her head. He was right; she was unfair to him.

"Okay, so you're not saying anything now?" He asked. It was so infuriating to see her not saying anything, but at the same time so strange. Jackson didn't know her that well, but from their past encounters he could tell that she was not the kind of person to listen and stay quiet.

April could feel his stare, but didn't dare look up and face him yet. She had to figure out how to say what she wanted to say. Pride was in the way, but it she had to overcome it. She had to say something and this was probably the best moment to come clean. "I don't hate you."

"What?" He was sure she had said something, but her words came out almost in a whisper that it was hard for him to understand.

She took a deep breath and started playing with the sleeve of her wet pink cardigan. "I don't…I don't really hate you." April confessed. Then, she looked at him and saw his green eyes staring back at her. He didn't say a word and the sound of the rain outside was all she could hear. She chose not to say anything too, not because she was embarrassed to be telling him the truth, but because she didn't know how to go on from there. So, she looked at the floor again and as if her whole body was asking for some relief, she decided to sit down.

Jackson watched patiently as she sat down on the cold hard floor, with her back against the wall. He caught himself staring at her, just admiring the delicate way she started bending down, adjusting her white dress at the same time. Then, he felt his body give in as well and decided to sit on the floor against the wall, facing her. The shed was so small that if he stretched his legs, he was able to touch the wall she was sitting against.

"The night I arrived here, in the Hamptons, was the night I bumped into you…the night that we met." April lifted her head and looked at him again. Then, she put one lock of hair behind her ear and continued. "I didn't want to come here or even spend my summer here, but my parents made me come…so I had to come. Then as soon as I got here, my dad started asking me to do all these chores and one of them was picking some bags from the pantry in your house. That's why you found me there. I was leaving. Apparently I used the wrong door, because I was not supposed to go through the front door, but my dad only told me that later. If I had used the back door, like I was supposed to, then we would have never bumped into each other." Jackson nodded as in understanding. He wanted to let her speak, since she was surprisingly opening up to him. "In the night we met, I was so mad that…I guess I laid it all out on you. The truth is I don't hate you, Jackson. I guess I just hate the 'system'." She noticed how he had a puzzled look on his face, probably wondering what she meant by that. "You see, my dad usually gets these kind of summer jobs here, because well…people pay more here and let's just say that in our family money is an important issue. We're not exactly swimming in it."

"Right." He simply said, in a thoughtful tone. He was getting the bigger picture now and it all started making sense.

"And I know that people here, people like you and your friends have more money that they should have, because there are so many people who struggle with money and…"

"It's not fair."

"Yeah, it's not fair." She agreed, glad he was not judging her for her way of thinking. "And I'm not trying to say that it's wrong for you to be rich it's just…I don't know…I guess the truth is that this has nothing to do with you."

They stayed in silence for a few seconds, just enjoying their new found honesty. The awkwardness of moments ago disappeared and they were both now comfortable with each other. Then Jackson spoke again. "Why did your parents make you came?"

"Well, my dad usually comes alone, but this year, right before it was time for him to get here, he got sick." She replied, not surprised by his question. "Heart problems."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So my mom made me come along with him."

"Sounds reasonable."

"I know." She looked at him and felt the need to justify herself. "I don't want you to think I'm selfish for not wanting to come here, it's just…why me? Why did I have to come? My mom or my sisters could've come, but they chose me and I didn't want to. Spending the summer babysitting my dad, surrounded by rich people and fancy houses was definitely not the way I envisioned spending my last summer before going away to college. But I don't know…"

"I'm not judging you." He said, not wanting to see her get mad at him again. They were just starting to open up and he couldn't afford another misunderstanding.

"Thank you." April just smiled, somehow relieved to share this with him. He smiled back and that was when she really noticed his smile. He had those kind of smiles that made you feel more at ease; a kind of familiar smile. It felt like she had seen his smile all her life.

"Is he okay, though? Your father?"

"Hum, yes. Everything is under control." She replied, appreciating his concern. "The doctors said he shouldn't work for a while, but he's too stubborn and the fact is we need the money."

"Yeah." It must be hard to go through all that. It never crossed his mind that her family might be going through some struggle, but he didn't want to keep talking about it or make her feel bad about it. "Look, April." He went on. "About the picture…I'm sorry."

It reminded her why it all started. They still had to talk about it and somehow the topic made her feel a little bit nervous. She was still mad at him for stealing her picture and for sharing it with other people. Or at least that was what she thought that happened. "How did you get it?"

"I found it."

"You found it?" She asked, confused by his answer. "How?"

"I found it. The day we talked on the beach and you had your diary with you."

"Journal." She corrected him quickly.

"Right, you had your journal with you." He continued, remembered the conversation they already had about it. "When you left, I found it stuck in the middle of the sand. So I took it and kept it." He could feel her thinking about it by the expression on her eyes. "It probably fell from your journal."

"I thought you stole it." She admitted. "That's why I was so mad at you. Why I ran when I saw you. I angry at you, because I thought you stole my picture…went through my journal."

He gave her a surprised look. "You thought I stole your journal? How would that be even possible?"

"I just thought you did."

"How could I steal your journal?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know."

"That's crazy." He said, raising his voice. That possibility didn't even cross his mind. How could she possibly think he had stolen her journal?

"I know." She replied, with a pitched in her tone.

"I'm not always the bad guy, you know."

"I'm sorry, okay?" She said, knowing she had made a poor judgment of his character. "But I couldn't find any other explanation when I saw that girl holding my picture and she was like laughing at it and I thought you went through my journal and you and your friends were making fun of me and I guess I freaked out."

"Even if I could, I would not read your diary." He replied, knowing that he was probably lying. He was so intrigued by this girl that maybe reading her diary would clarify a lot.

"For the last time…it's a journal."

"Who cares? What difference does it make?"

"It makes a lot!" April almost yelled. She realized they were starting another unnecessary fight and that was the last thing she wanted at the moment. "You know what? I don't want to fight."

"Me neither." He agreed, noticing how their argument was escalating as well. "Just know that I'm sorry. And I'm sorry about Shelly too."

"Shelly?"

"The girl in the kitchen. That's Shelly."

"Oh right. Yeah."

"I didn't show the picture to her. She entered my room and took it." He informed her, hoping she would believe him. "We weren't making fun of you."

April looked at him for a second, trying to see if she could understand what he had said. It was a lot of information in such a short period of time. She had to believe him. Looking back it was kind of impossible for him to steal her journal. However, the fact that he didn't steal the picture did not erase the fact that he had seen it and read it. Then, she turned to him with her most neutral tone and said. "It's not about you."

"Not me…what?"

"What it says in the picture. It's not about you." She replied, even though she was lying. It was him. She couldn't stop thinking about him. He haunted her mind from the moment she first saw him and she was lying.

"Oh. Okay." It felt like all his wishes were crushed into the ground. It wasn't about him, like he had hoped.

She noticed how his whole expression changed and wondered why. April didn't want to think about the possibility of him sharing the same thoughts as her, because the chances of him actually not being able to stop thinking about her were minimal. And then she remembered about Shelly. She had seen her twice. The first time she saw her, Jackson told her she was just a friend, but wasn't sure. "You can tell your girlfriend that it's not about you." She said, talking about what was written in the picture.

"My girlfriend?" Jackson asked, obviously lost in his thoughts. Then he realized what she meant and whom she was talking about. "Shelly's not my girlfriend."

"She's not?"

"No." He replied, wondering why she was being so insisted with this issue. "She's an old friend."

"Just an old friend?"

"Why do you ask?" Jackson looked at her, with a smirk on his face. "Would you be jealous if she was my girlfriend?"

"No!" April firmly said, extending her leg to kick his as Jackson laughed watching her reaction. "Of course not."

She smiled as well, but it was not a shy or embarrassed smile. No, it was different. She was different. Jackson knew she was different. She type of girl who was not afraid to speak her mind. Jackson couldn't stop staring at her. She was completely wet, just like him. He noticed how she had her arms tightly pressed against her chest. She was probably cold, freezing, since she was just wearing a white summer dress and a light cardigan. His clothes were wet as well and he would be lying if he said that he was not getting cold too. Nevertheless, he was raised to be a gentleman and even though he never did it before, he decided he could make the offer. "I can give you my sweater, if you want to."

"Oh, no. I'm fine." She replied, realizing what he meant by that.

"It's pretty wet, but I have a tshirt underneath."

"Thanks, but I'm good." She said, surprised by his kind offer. "You hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Silence." April replied, standing up on her feet and walking towards the tiny window. He got up as well and followed her. She tried to reach the window, but she couldn't take a peek, since it was too high. "Can you try and take a look?" She asked, turning around to face him.

"Sure." He replied, stretching his body to look through the little window. "Well, it looks like the thunderstorm is gone. It's still raining a little bit."

April walked to the door and opened it. It was light raining. "I think we can go."

"Jackson turned around and looked through the door as well. "Yeah, I think we can."

"Great." She replied. "Now, we just have to be careful. We don't wanna get caught in other person's property." Jackson gave her a peculiar look and she, sensing his stare, looked back at him. "What?"

"Now you think about that?" He replied. "It's a little too late, don't you think?"

"It was the first thing that came into my mind. I was just trying to help. I was trying to save your ass, you know." April said, defending her rushed decision. Jackson rolled his eyes. "What?

"Nothing. Let's go, drama queen." He said, stepping outside. "Before the storm gets worse again."

They both started running again, walking through the wooden path back to the beach. The waves were still crashing violently and the rain was still falling down. In a few minutes they made it safely – and a little bit wetter – back to Jackson's house.

When they reached the kitchen door, they stopped. The space was covered by a porch, which protected them from the rain. "Oh, thank goodness we're here." April said, twisting her wet hair.

"Yeah." Jackson replied, scratching the back of his head. He didn't want to see her leave just yet. They had such a good time together that he just wished they could continue talking.

"Okay, then…I should go. My dad must be worried about me." She said, thinking about her father since she left. She didn't realize she had to come up with an excuse for spending so much time out, in the middle of a storm, until now.

"So, hum…see you later?" Jackson asked, feeling a little awkward. He did want to see her later. This was not a rhetorical question.

"I don't know." April retorted. "My dad must be worried about me and it's getting kind of late and I still have to make dinner. So…"

"No, right. Yeah. I see."

"Plus, it's raining." She continued, feeling a little bad for turning him down. "But tomorrow we can…"

"No, it's fine." Jackson cut her off, feeling a little too embarrassed but the situation. Then, he raised his right hand and looked at her with a smile on his lips. "Friends?"

April looked at him and raised her hand as well. "Friends." She said, shaking his hand. It was the second time their hands touched and she noticed how his hand was still cold.

She smiled and then she turned around to leave. Jackson placed his hands inside the sweaters pocket and realized that the Polaroid picture was still in there. He quickly took it off his pocket and called her name. "Hey, April?"

April stopped and faced him. "What?"

"I think this belongs to you." He said, handing her the photograph.

"Thanks, Jackson." Then, she turned around and started walking to the house she shared with her father.

Jackson smiled and made his way into the kitchen. When he opened the door, he found Mindy, with her arms crossed against her chest, waiting for him. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I got caught in the rain." He replied, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

"Hey, don't take another step!" She warned him, pointing a finger at his sneakers. "Don't you even think about taking another step. Look at your shoes. Where have you been?"

He looked down and realized his shoes were covered in wet sand. "I told you, I got caught in the rain."

"Take them off now." She demanded. "Now, did I just see what I think I saw?" She asked, while he took off his shoes.

"I don't know what you saw."

"Were you just talking to the gardener's daughter?"

Jackson pushed his shoes away and started walking towards the door. "No."

"Don't you lie to me, Jackson Avery." She yelled, playfully, as he existed the room. "Were you with her this whole time?"

"I'm gonna take a shower." He yelled back from another room.

"Oh, boy." Mindy thought to herself, picking up his dirty shoes from the floor. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

.

After coming home and hearing her father about being worried about her, April took a quick shower. She was getting really cold, since her clothes were wet. Once she stepped out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She didn't waste any time and quickly looked for her red notebook and grabbed a pen. She also held the picture he returned a few minutes ago and then, lying on her bed, with her tummy against the mattress, she opened the journal.

'_He found my picture. He didn't steal it. He simply found it. But I lied. I told him it was not about him, but it is.' _She wrote, not knowing if it was the best thing. Maybe she should have just told him the truth. _'I don't usually like storms. But I liked this one. It was the perfect storm.'_

…

**AN**:

Hello, my dear readers.

I told you I'd be updating soon and here it is!

Tell me what you thought about the chapter. Please review!

Your reviews give me inspiration to continue and to write better!

I know that this might be a sudden decision when they could have ran back, but I wanted them to be alone for a sometime, just to talk. Hope you're okay with it.

Now, a few notes:

I'm sorry if you think that the chapters are not long enough. But the thing is, I update so often that you don't wait for that long.

Dear liann, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thought that it had more 'japril'.

I'm so glad that some of you are following my thoughts on this story and understanding the characters as I do. It makes me really happy.

And thank you all so much for your reviews!

Now that all the characters are introduced and that Jackson and April are 'friends' or in good terms, I feel like I can start exploring the story and their relationship a little better.

Anyways, thank you for reading and reviewing.

Let me know what you thought

Love, Annie

PS: English is not my 1st language.

PS2: Keep in mind that Jackson and April know each other for like 5 days or something. They're gonna get to know each other better and the real japril starts now!


	6. love is for stupid people

_The next day_

People often say that after every storm comes a rainbow. They seemed to be right, because after a day full of rain, the sky was now clean and the sun was shining bright outside.

Jackson was sitting by his desk and his computer was in front of him. He had spent the past thirty minutes looking for April on every social media platform possible, but so far he had no success. He thought that she wouldn't be too hard to find, since she had an unusual name, but the fact that he didn't have her email or any other information but her name made things more difficult. 'Maybe she doesn't even have a social account.' He thought, scratching his head with his left hand. 'But who the hell doesn't have one these days?' It was like she was a mystery, a ghost. He hoped that by finding her online, he could learn more about her, but so far nothing and he was getting frustrated.

Then he heard his phone ring and quickly grabbed it, since it was laying on the desk right next to the computer. He looked at the caller ID. "Hey, Finn." He asked, with an exasperated tone. He had been trying to avid his friends' calls since the afternoon he kicked them out of his house, but eventually he had to face them and explain why he acted the way he did at least to Finn.

"Hey, man. What's up?" Jackson didn't notice any difference in Finn's voice, which was a good thing.

"Not much." He replied, using his free hand to close the Facebook tab he had on, giving up his search for April's profile. "Why?"

"Hum…nothing." Finn replied. "It's just I haven't heard from you since the other day and I was just wondering if you're okay."

"No, yeah…I'm fine." Jackson said, standing up from where he was sitting and walking towards the window. "Why I wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You kinda flipped the other day."

"Yeah." He said, placing his free hand on the back of his neck and scratching it. "I'm sorry about that. It had nothing to do with you." It really didn't have anything do to with him. He flipped because of Shelly and even though the fact as Finn was defending her, he was not the problem. She was and he was more than glad that he was able to talk with April and they were now in good terms.

"Oh, okay." Finn said on the other side of the line. "So we're cool?"

"We're cool. Don't worry about it."

"Great." Jackson could sense some relief in Finn's voice. "So, hum…I called because I wanted to know if you'd like to come over today. Maybe we could have lunch together, hang out."

"That'd be nice." He replied, looking over to his watch and realizing it was a little past 12am. "When should I be there?"

"Hum, in an hour, maybe."

"Okay."

"I'm gonna let my mom know that you're coming now and maybe you can stay for later."

"Yeah." Jackson replied, knowing he wasn't spending as much time with his friend like the summers before. "Yeah, I think I can do that. You know what? I'm gonna let Mindy know that I'm gonna spent the night at your place. Is that be fine with you?"

"More than fine." He said, with an excited tone. "Just like the old times."

"Just like the old times."

"Okay, man. I'm gonna go now. See you later."

"See you later."

When Finn hang up the call Jackson couldn't help but to get stuck on that thought. 'Just like the old times'. He wasn't sure he wanted things to be just like the old times. He wasn't even sure if he was the same Jackson as the 'old times'. And the truth was, he never felt more confused with that, because he didn't know why he was having all these crazy thoughts or feeling these changes inside of him.

Jackson looked at his watch again and decided it was to start getting ready. He put down his phone on his desk and headed to his closet. He was already dressed, wearing a white simple t-shirt and a pair black loose shorts. So, he decided to grab his white and red Air Jordan sneakers and put them on. After that, he grabbed a gym bag and threw another set of clothes in there, after going into his bathroom and putting all his personal items in there as well.

Then, he left his room and made his way downstairs. "Hey, Mindy?" He asked, stepping down the stairs. "Mindy?" He yelled.

"What?" She appeared from the living room.

"I'm heading over to Finn's and I'm staying with him for the night."

"I thought you were mad at your friends." She said, following him into the hall.

"No, I'm not mad at them."

"I thought you fight the other day." She continued, talking about the day when he told her they had to suddenly leave, but she figured out that something had happened.

"We didn't fight." He replied, stopping near a furniture piece in the hall.

"So you're having lunch with him? What are you guys going to do?" She asked, just like any mother would do before her son left for the night.

"Hum, not sure. Play some videogames, maybe watch a movie…you know, the usual." He replied, opening up a drawer, but not finding what he was looking for. Then, he turned to her again and asked. "Have you seen my car keys? I thought I left them here, but they're not."

Mindy thought for a second and then replied "Hum, yeah. Let me go check inside."

"I'll be waiting outside." Jackson said, walking towards the front door and opening the door. Once he stepped outside, he was surprised by the sudden heat of the sun. The day was much better than the day before and it seemed that a storm never hit the shore.

He put down the gym bag carrying the clothes he needed to spend the night at Finn's and took a few steps forward. He spotted a basketball ball resting on the corner of the wall and grabbed it. Instinctively, he started dribbling the ball.

The house didn't have a full basketball course, but he managed to buy a standing hoop, which was placed right next to where he found the ball, near the the garage door.

"Hey, you?" He heard from behind him, just as the ball fell through the net.

He recognized the voice and quickly turned around. "Hey." He said, with a smile on his lips. "How you doing today?"

"I'm okay." April replied, smiling as well.

"Didn't see you all morning." Jackson said, taking a few steps backwards to get the ball, managing not turning his back on her.

"Have you been looking for me all morning?" She asked, with a playful tone. "I'm flattered."

Jackson tried to hide the huge smile that appeared on his face. She seemed to always have this way of

"Well, you shouldn't be. It was kind of refreshing not having you sneaking around for once." He teased, grabbing the ball and dribbling it back to where he was standing before.

April looked at him, but understood he didn't actually meant what he said. So, she simply shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head, smiling. "No, hum…actually, I had to run some errands this morning and go to the pharmacy by something for my throat."

"What's wrong with it?" He asked, with a concerned look.

"It hurts a little bit. I think I'm catching a cold."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that."

"I think the rain yesterday made me sick." April said. Then, she gave him a look and with a frisky tone she said. "Or maybe it was you who made me sick, who knows?"

"Me? Really? I made you sick?" He asked, putting an emphasis on the 'I'.

"Maybe you did." She replied, taking a few steps towards him.

He noticed how she was biting her lower lip and touching her fiery red hair, moving it all to one side, covering one of her shoulders. "You think so?"

"I spent quite a long time with you on that shed." April continued, trying to look as innocent as ever. "Maybe I'm allergic to you!"

"Oh, so you're having an allergic reaction to me!" Jackson said, closing the space between them.

"Maybe!"

"Then how come you're so close to me?" If she could play the flirt game, then so could he.

She looked directly into his eyes and smiled. Then, with a fast movement, she swiped the ball from him and started dribbling it herself.

"HEY!" He shouted, impressed by her quick moved.

"I might be a little sick, but I can still play!" April said, dribbling the ball in front of him.

"I can teach you to play if you want to." Jackson retorted, amazed by her frisky attitude.

"Whaaat?" She pretended to be offended by his remark. "I know how to play basketball."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!"

"You're gonna show me what you got or what?!" Jackson asked, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Heck yeah, I will!" She said, taking a few steps, while dribbling the ball, throwing it into the net with one shot.

Jackson smiled and clapped his hands. "Well done."

"Thanks." April said, grabbing the ball and walking towards him. She was feeling very confident and so with a cocky tone she said. "But I don't know why you're so surprised."

"I'm not. I'm just impressed." He confessed.

April pushed the ball against his stomach and gave him a defying stare. "Game on!"

Jackson held the ball and ran to the net, determined to show off his skills. He loved basketball, it was his favorite sport and he knew how good he was at it.

When he dunked, she ran to get the ball and did her best to defend herself from him, protecting the ball with her body. She had her back to his chest, as he was trying to take the ball away from her. "So, do you like basketball?"

"I like sports." She replied, hearing his voice against her ear. "I don't particularly like basketball, but…"

"You don't have a favorite team?" He asked. Jackson was not trying to distract her to take the ball, since he could easily do that if he wanted to. He was taller than her and that wouldn't be so hard to do. But the fact was, he was enjoying seeing her dribble the ball. He could tell she was determined to play the best she could.

"Hum, no. Not really." April replied, trying to get away from him, but having a hard time doing so. "What's yours?"

"The Chicago Bulls."

"Okay." April said. For a second, he finally stopped attacking her and she found a break and started running towards the net. When the ball fell through the net, she raised her arms over her head and celebrated. "YES!"

"You're good, Kepner." Jackson complimented her. She looked very cute celebrating her little victory and he couldn't help but stare at her.

She grabbed the ball again and turned to face him with the biggest smile. "Oh, I know!" She kept the ball and stopped for a second. "But I thought you were from Boston."

"Yeah…and?"

"You said you are a fan of the Chicago Bulls. Why are you a fan of the Bulls if you're from Boston?"

"Well, there's actually a story behind that." Jackson replied, scratching the back of his neck. "The boarding school I went to is in Chicago. So…"

"You went to a boarding school?" She asked, not sure why she was surprised with that. He was a rich kid. What else could she be expecting?

"Hum, yeah…why?" Jackson asked back, noticing a sudden tone of surprise.

"Hum, nothing. That's just…unusual."

"Well, I'm an unusual guy!" He said, closing the space between them again, decided to keep the flirty game on.

"More like a preppy guy!"

"Hey!" He protested, hitting her shoulder lightly.

"What?" They both laughed, when April saw her father coming into the area. "Oh my gosh!" She said, quickly dropping the ball to the fall and grabbing Jackson's upper arms, trying to hide behind his body.

"What happened?" Jackson asked a little bit confused.

"My dad is there."

"What?" He asked, turning around to look at her father. But she firmly held his arms and prevented him from moving.

"Don't move!" She firmly demanded.

"Why?"

"I need to hide. My dad can't see me with you."

Jackson noticed how she was a little too stressed than usual and didn't understand why she couldn't be seen with him by her father. "What?"

"Don't say anything! Just stand still." She said in a whisper, looking over his shoulder to check if her dad had already left, but he was still there.

"Right, because if he looks this way, he's not gonna find it weird that I'm just standing here like a freaking statue!"

"No, just…don't speak and don't move." April insisted, applying more pressure on his shoulders.

Then she looked up and found his eyes staring back at her. Jackson froze in front of her, not knowing what to do or why his body was reacting the way it was. He had never been this close to her and the tension was undeniable. She wanted to hide from her father and chose to have him as her wall, but she could've let go of his shoulders by now and she didn't. She was still hanging on to him, firmly.

They were so close that she finally had the change to noticing the traces of his face, the spark of his green eyes and the freckles around his nose.

Jackson looked into her eyes, noticing they were a sweet mix of green and hazel. He observed her simply beautiful features and how a single lock of her hair was starting to fall from behind her ear.

Just as he raised his hand, almost unconsciously, to take the hair out of her striking eyes, she felt a chill go up and down her spine and quickly backed off.

"Hey, hum…He's gone!" She said, freeing him from her hands and taking two steps back.

"Right." He remarked, suddenly aware of what just happened.

They could feel the tension in the air, but also the awkwardness of the moment. Luckily, as soon as they took a couple steps back, Mindy opened the door and shouted Jackson's name.

"I'm right here." He replied, calling her out.

Mindy was standing by the door, but quickly made her way where the two of them were standing. "Hey, I'm sorry I took such a long time, but you, mister, left the keys inside your jeans' pocket and…" That was when she noticed that April was standing right behind Jackson. "Well, hello there!"

April looked at her and shyly smiled. "Hi!" She said, raising her hand and waiving at the housekeeper.

"Thanks, Mindy." Jackson walked towards her and when he reached her, he took the keys from her hand and whispered. "Don't stare at her like that."

"Like what? I'm not staring."

"Yes, you are. Stop it." He firmly retorted, afraid that Mindy could actually say something to April that would make them feel uncomfortable. Then, he cleared his throat and, trying to hide his embarrassment, he said loudly. "Thank you again, Mindy."

"Oh, you're welcome." Mindy replied, looking at April and at how she delicately bent down to catch the basketball ball fallen in front of her. "I also found your phone. It was on your desk."

"Really?" He wondered, not even knowing he didn't have his phone with him until that moment.

Mindy took the phone from her pocket and handed it to him. "When I got into your room it was ringing. I looked at the ID. It was Shelly." She informed him, speaking in a lower tone to prevent April from hearing. She never liked Shelly, as she always thought she was a reckless little spoiled kid trying to get around with her boy. And for some reason, she liked April. She didn't know much about her, but she was sure that by the way Jackson had been acting for the past few days, she could mean nothing but trouble for him. Not in the sense that April was going to make him get into any danger; Mindy knew Jackson too well and she could tell that April was going to be trouble for the heart.

"Again?" Jackson replied, looking over his shoulder to check if April was still there. She was still where he left her, holding the ball in her hands, and he couldn't help but to be amazed at how patient she was being. "I've been ignoring her since the other day, but…it's alright. I'll deal with her later."

"Okay, son." Mindy said, placing one hand on his shoulder and tapping it. "Now go. Don't keep the girl waiting."

"Don't start."

"I'm not starting anything." She replied, taking a step back to leave. "Oh and don't forget to call me if you need anything."

"Okay." Jackson said. Then he turned around to face April and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright. No problem." She replied, smiling as well. Jackson "Are you going somewhere?"

"Hum, yeah." He said, regretting now the moment he arranged to meet with Finn. "I'm meeting with my friend."

"Oh cool." April said, trying not to sound too disappointed with his answer.

Jackson looked uncomfortably at his watch and realized it was time for him to leave. "I should be going now."

"Sure." She nodded her head. "Have fun then!"

"Thanks." Jackson said, having a hard time moving his feet to start walking towards his car. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yes." April agreed. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Okay! Bye." She said, taking three steps back and walking away.

"Bye." He gave her one last smile, but then he noticed how she didn't put the ball down. "Hey, hum…you're taking the ball with you?"

"Oh yeah." She said, in a playfully tone. "While you spend the day out with your friend, I'm gonna be practicing and the next time we play, I'm gonna kick your ass."

Jackson let out a small laugher. "I can't wait to see that."

"You bet!" She said, before turning her back on him again.

"Hey, hum…" Jackson interrupted one more time. "…I hope you feel better later!"

April turned around once again and gave him a strange look. "What?"

"Because of your throat." Jackson quickly explained, feeling a little too embarrassed now. "Your cold, you know! Just feel better…"

"Thanks." She replied, noticing his rambling. Then she started walking again and never looked back.

…

"So, Jackson…" Finn's mother started saying. "You're going to college too, right?"

"Yes, Mrs Harrison." Jackson politely replied to the woman sitting in front of him. He was already at his friend's house, finishing eating lunch.

"Finn got into Brown, you know?" She continued, staring at him with corrosive eyes. "He told me you got into an Ivy League school as well. I can't remember…Which one was it?"

"Harvard."

"Hum, interesting." She remarked, grabbing her glass and taking a sip. "Finn's father went to Brown and so did I. That's where we met."

Jackson simply nodded his head, while Finn chose not to say anything. He knew how his friend didn't like talking about school with his mother. Laney Harrison, Finn's mom, was a woman who, after finding out she was pregnant with him, decided to dedicate her life to being a committed housewife and mother. Finn often confided to Jackson how controlling his mother could be, how she was always worried about his grades and what the rest of the family would think of him. In Jackson's mind, he could not help but to think that the fact that Finn was so controlled by his family, was the real reason behind his rebellious ways. College proved to be another issue to his friend, because he was always so pressured to get into Brown and to pursue a medical career, even though Jackson wasn't sure if that was what his friend really wanted.

"Harvard is a great university as well." Laney continued, putting the glass down. "By the way, what does your grandfather say about it?"

"Hum, he's very proud." Jackson replied, not entirely sure if that was true. His family never really paid attention to his studies; they never forced him into anything or really cared about his future career. And the truth was, Jackson never heard those words come out of his grandfather's mouse, but to please people and cut the issue short, he usually said that when they asked that exact same question. Or maybe, he invited that excuse. Maybe, he started saying that, because it sounded right even to himself. It felt good to pretend that his grandfather said that about him.

"He should be." She added. "You boys studied very hard. It's a shame that the two of you are going to be apart from each other from now on. I'm worried about how my Finn is going to behave away in College."

"Mom!" Finn said, annoyed by her conversation. She always talked about the same thing; about how he needed to get some sense; how he needed to behave; how he needed to become a better person. Hearing that over again was enough to make him feel fuming. "Stop it."

"What? I'm just having a normal conversation with your friend."

"Okay, you know what?" Finn turned to Jackson and looked over to his plate. "Jackson and I have finished eating. We're going upstairs."

"I know you don't like it when I talk about this, but is important that I talk about it." She said, obviously not surprised by her son's rant. "You can't run away forever, Finn. Eventually we're gonna have to talk about this."

"Well, today's not the day." He replied standing up, before making a gesture towards Jackson to make him stand up as well. "Let's go."

Jackson got up and followed him to his bedroom. He knew his friend was mad at his mother, so he decided not to say anything and just let him have his time to breathe.

When they entered the room and Jackson shut the door behind him, Finn exploded. "It's always the same damn thing. She's always bugging me about this kind of stuff. You know how frustrating it is? And now that I'm going away to College, she's worse…and it's all because of the fact that she doesn't get me to be trapped the way I was in boarding school."

"Just relax, man." Jackson said, trying to calm him down. He knew it was worthless and Finn kept pacing up and down the room.

"Relax?" He turned to Jackson. "You don't know what this is like…every day…all day."

"She's your mom. I'm sure she and your dad want the best for you."

"Yeah, well…sometimes I wished I was you." He almost shouted. "Your mom works so much, she doesn't even care…and your dad just left. He surely doesn't give two craps about you! That's for sure."

Then Finn froze and looked at Jackson. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean it." Finn quickly tried to apologize, knowing he had screwed up. Jackson never talked about the fact that his father left him and his mother a long time along. This was not a topic of conversation between them. Nevertheless, he knew it was an issue that should be avoided, since his friend was not open to it.

Jackson shook his head. He was trying not to show any emotions, but the truth was what his friend said, hurt. "It's okay."

"I'm really sorry. It's just that sometimes my mom and my dad, they get on my nerves and I lose my temper…you know how I am."

"I do." Jackson said, feeling a sudden pain in the chest. "Forget about it, okay?"

"Are you sure you're okay? I'm really sorry!"

"I'm fine." He replied, not wanting to talk about the issue any longer. "So, do you wanna play Call of Duty or Battlefield?" Jackson asked, turning his attention to his friend's PlayStation.

Finn knew Jackson was trying to change the subject and he was actually relieved with it, since he didn't know how to deal with the situation. So, he turned to Jackson and said. "Hum, Call of Duty."

Jackson nodded his head and bent down to turn on the TV and the Playstation, while Finn looked for the game. They were in silence for a few minutes, but then Finn spoke again. "So, about the other day...what Shelly said..."

"What about it?" Jackson wondered, grabbing the game box and opening it to take off the CD.

"She said you were talking to a girl. The gardener's daughter, right?"

"Hum, yeah." He replied, not sure if he wanted to talk about it too.

"Really?!" Finn exclaimed, with a snobbish tone on his voice. "The gardener's daughter? Why?"

"I…" Jackson began to say. He felt the need to explain himself after noting the arrongant tone Finn was using. However, Finn cut him off.

"I mean, are you seeing her or something? 'Cause I can't really understand how you, Jackson freaking Avery…" He said, putting an emphasis on 'freaking'. "…seeing the gardener's daughter."

"What? No!" Jackson quickly defended himself. "I'm not seeing her. No, of course not!"

"Then what the hell was she doing in your house?"

"Look, I don't know okay?!" Jackson said, turning around and sitting on the floor, with his back against the bed frame. He was acting a little defensive, but he didn't know why. "She was helping Mindy…I don't know."

"I mean, I'm just curious." Finn grabbed the PlayStation remotes and handed one to Jackson, sitting next to him on the floor. "You were never the guy to hook up with chicks like…"

"Like what?" Jackson cut him off, not liking where this was going.

"Like, you know…her."

"You're seriously not saying that."

"I'm not saying anything! I'm just…"

"And who said anything about hooking up? I was just talking to the girl."

"Okay, fine." Finn said, noticing how angry Jackson was becoming. "You don't have to get so defensive about it! I get it. You were just talking to her…probably not gonna happen again. Who cares? Let's just play!"

Jackson took a deep breath. He knew his friends could be a little elitist when it came to people and he was not in the mood to defend himself over April. Especially since they had nothing going on between them. And even if they were just friends, it was for the best to hide that from his own friends. So, he was actually glad that Finn decided to let it go. "Yeah, let's just play!" Jackson agreed, knowing that it was for the best if he put all his angry energies into the game.

…

Finn convinced Jackson to let Shelly and the girls come over. He didn't want to see any of them and he had been avoiding Shelly's calls since the incident in the kitchen, but Jackson figured it was for the best to let it go. So, he agreed to let them come and hang out with them later that day. And by 'later that day', Jackson knew Finn meant 'later that night'. Since Finn's mother stayed with him every summer, they learned that the best way to hang out in Finn's house was to wait until she went to bed. Then, once she was out of sight, they would meet with the girls in the back of the property. It was always fun sneaking around and the teenagers where more than used with that by now, after spending so many summers doing the same thing.

That night, after Laney went to bed, Jackson and Finn sneaked out and waited for the girls on the front gate. Then, when the girls arrived, they marched to their usual spot of preference. Once there, they all sat and the girls quickly took out from their purses the bottles of alcohol they stole this time.

"Here are the bottles." Shelly said, showing them what she had brought with her.

"Nice!" Finn said, taking the bottle in his hand and quickly opening it.

"Yeah, well I don't know what I'm going to tell my dad when he decides to come here and sees all the bottles that are missing."

"You can always blame it on your sister." Finn said, putting the bottle close to his lips.

"My sister is in London. She's not even here." Shelly had an older sister named Brittany. She liked her sister, but they were not very close.

"Bryce broke up with me!" Ava said, taking the bottle from Finn's hands. "I definitely need a drink."

"He was a loser, honey." Lila sat next to Ava and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Forget him!"

"Yeah, he wasn't good for you. You deserve so much better than him." Shelly corroborated.

Jackson didn't know who Bryce was, but he figured he was Ava's boyfriend. He was amazed with the fact that Shelly didn't bring up the issue yet and how he ignored her for almost two days, but it was better off that way. So, he decided to stay quiet and not say anything, since he definitely didn't want to be the one to bring the issue.

"I know." Ava said, taking a sip right from the bottle. "But I loved him."

"Oh honey!" Lila started to say, but Finn cut her off.

"Oh c'mon…stop it!" He said, standing up in the middle of the group. "Look what I've got here!" Then he took out from his pocket what it seemed to be a cigarette.

"What's that?" Shelly asked, looking at the object curiously.

"What does it look like it is?" Finn also took from his pocket a lighter.

"Is that a joint?" Jackson asked, realizing what it was.

"Damn right it is!" He replied, as excited as ever, while lightening it up.

"What did you that?" Shelly asked, following his excitement.

"I have my ways!" He said, sitting back again next to Jackson and turning to him. "Do you want?"

"Sure." Jackson replied. Seeing Finn with the joint in his hand and knowing the feeling he would get by smoking it, since it was not the first time he tried it, was an easy choice.

"There you go!" He said, handing him the joint.

Jackson placed it close to his lips and inhaled. As the smoke filled his lungs, he immediately felt his body relax.

"Pass me that joint. I wanna take a hit too." Ava firmly demanded. Jackson looked at her, as he took the smoke out of his body and gave her the cigarette. Ava took a smoke too and passed the joint back to Jackson, under Shelly and Lila's watchful eyes. "I want to forget him, you know?" Ava said, turning to the girls. "I loved him. Bryce was my soul mate."

Jackson placed the joint back into his mouth and inhaled again. Then, as he let the smoke out he said. "Soul mate? You gotta be kidding me with that crap."

"What? You don't believe in soul mates?" Shelly entered the conversation.

"There are no such things as soul mates." He continued, starting to feel his body so light. "That'd be a dumb system."

"I'm with Jackson on this one." Finn said, taking the joint from his friend's hand. "No one has just one soul mate. I mean…two people meet and all of a sudden they're supposed to spend the rest of their lives together just because they are so called 'soul mates'? That's stupid."

"And what if you think you found your soul mate and you stay with that person, but that person is not really your soul mate. That'd mess up the whole entire universe, wouldn't it?" Jackson continued, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.

"So you don't believe in love?" Shelly asked, holding one bottle in her hand and taking a sip.

"Love is for stupid people." Finn quickly replied. "That's why I never fell in love."

"Finn's right." Jackson agreed, opening up his eyes. "Love's for stupid people."

Jackson didn't know if his mind was playing tricks on him or if was the marijuana thinking louder, but the fact was when he spoke those words, he couldn't help but to feel like a complete idiot. If love was for stupid people, he was never going to let himself become one. And yet, April's image kept haunting his mind.

…

**AN:**

Hey, my lovely readers!

New chapter here!

I want to know what you thought of it, so please review! Your feedback and your reviews mean the world to me and let me know what you think of the story and if I'm writing it right. This story is yours and I write it for you. So, I need to know if you're enjoying it.

Okay, now…as you could tell, I'm planning on approaching Jackson's dad from my point of view. We don't know much about him (and hopefully in S11 we'll be able to know more about that side of Jackson's story, but I want to write about that too.

I'm sorry if the 'joint' thing was rude in any way. I never smoke a joint, so I don't even know how that works, but since Jackson and Finn have kind of a rebellious past, it seemed right to put this in the story. Remember, Jackson is changing, but changing takes time.

As for Japril, I'm want them to become closer before making them a couple. Sorry if you don't agree. I want to make this story a good story and I feel like it's more reasonable to write things that way.

Anyways, I'm stopping now!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and hope you can leave a review.

Thanks for everything.

Love, Annie.

PS: English is not my 1st language.

PS2: I used part of what Jackson said on the show about soul mates!

PS3: If you didn't understand or liked the way Jackson acted or why April seemed a little out of character (I'm not really trying to portray April as she is portrayed on the show, but as a more confident person and sassy.), let me know and review or write a PM. It's just that I do write this story for you guys and I want to write better every time. I really value your opinion.

Thanks!


	7. pancakes with nutella

_The next day_

Jackson stayed at Finn's house until 2PM of the next day since Laney made him stay over for lunch. Now, as Jackson drove home, he realized that things were very different from last year. He spent the day with Finn, playing videogames, barely speaking to each other, because they had their competitive mode on and were with their heads in the game they were playing. The night was spent drinking and smoking and doing all the things that used to excite him. However, he realized the things he used to find pleasure in, didn't excite him anymore. He didn't even know why he smoked that joint. It was probably to escape or to try to connect with the rest of the group. He did it, he smoked the joint and he felt relaxed, but the truth was as he did it, April was the only thought in his mind. When they talked about love and when Ava spent the entire night talking about her boyfriend Bryce and how she was heartbroken, he blacked out and his body made him the favor of blocking the sound of Ava's voice. April was on his mind the whole time: her smile, her red hair, the way she flirted with him in such an innocent way, the way her eyes shined and the way she made him feel and as all those thoughts ran through his mind, he realized that he wished he could be with her instead.

He opened the property's gates with a remote control and as he drove the car to the garage, he saw April dribbling a ball near the basketball net. His whole mood changed and a huge grin appeared on his face. He parked the car and quickly stepped out.

When April looked over and realized that it was his car that was entering the property, she stopped dribbling the ball and held it close to her stomach. She waited for him to get of the car and once he stepped out, she turned to him with a smile. "Hey, you!"

"Hi!" He replied, glad to finally see her. "What are you doing?"

"I told you I'd be practicing." She informed him, coming closer. "Now I think I'm ready to kick your ass."

"Is that so?" Jackson asked, in a flirtatious tone. He looked at her up and down. She was wearing a simple pink skirt that was short enough for him to let his imagination wander and a white tank top. Her hair was pulled in a braid and on her feet, she had a pair of a sandals.

"Yes."

"Let's see what you got, then." He provoked her.

"Okay…" She said, putting the ball down to dribble it and started walking. "So, I've been practicing shooting from here."

"Ok." He said, following her with his eyes. "That's a long shot."

"I can do it." She replied, looking at him with daring eyes. "I've already done it when you were not here."

"Okay, then. Sorry." He quickly held up his arms in surrender. "Go on."

April took position and raised her arm, holding the ball in her hands and threw it. Jackson noticed how her skirt lifter a little bit with the balance and couldn't help but to admire the definition of her thighs. She eventually failed the shot and let out a small scream of frustration. Then she turned to Jackson just in time for him to look up – since he was still looking at her legs. "I can do it. I already did it. I can do it!" She insisted.

"I believe in you." He said, running to catch the fallen ball.

"Good, 'cause I can do it!"

"I didn't know you were this competitive!" He said, picking the ball from the ground and turning back to face her. Her face was red and she had her arms placed on her hips.

"I'm not competitive." She replied, watching him walk towards her with the ball in his hands.

"Oh, really?"

"Really." April said. Jackson returned to the ball and placed himself in front of her. "I just like to win…every time!" She continued, looking down, feeling a little awkward to be telling him the truth.

"Well, then we're very much alike." He continued, watching as she rolled the ball in her hands. "'Cause I like to win every time as well."

She looked up and smiled. "Okay, one more shot. I know I can do it this time."

Jackson shook his head, amazed by her persistence. Then he took a few steps and repositioned behind her. April started taking position again. "Okay, I can do this!" Jackson her hear talking to herself and after watching her for a few seconds, he decided to intervene. "Can I just say something?"

She turned around and looked at him. "What?"

Jackson stepped forward and placed himself closer to her. Then, he placed one hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder. "It's all about the movement." He said, liking the proximity of their bodies. "You have to balance your body like this." He continued, making her hips move.

"O-okay." She said, stumbling in her words. His touch was giving her chills up and down her spine, but she didn't want to show she was feeling a little affected by it.

"Then, you raise your arms like this…" Jackson moved his hands to her upper arms, closing the space between them as he did it.

She could feel his chest against her back and his voice way too close to her ear. "Okay."

"If you do that, you'll get it!"

Then, he stepped back. April didn't even dare looking back, trying to focus on the task ahead. So, she did as he said and the ball fell down the net. "I did!" She screamed, lifting up her arms above her head with her fists tightly closed.

"I told you."

"Thanks!" She said facing him again. "I tried a few times before and I swear I got it, but…"

"I believe you." He reassured her.

"Good!"

"Alright. Do you want to play now? One on one?"

"Actually, can we play a little later?" She asked, to his disappointment. Playing basketball was a good to be closer to her, to let their bodies touch without it being weird, and he wanted to feel her close again. "My throat still hurts a little bit and should really go home and make myself some tea."

"It's not better?" He asked, refereeing to her throat pain.

"It's a little better, but…"

"You know what?" He suddenly cut her off, not exactly sure if he was going to push it with what he just about to say, but he didn't want to watch her leave again. Either way, he decided to give it a shot. "Why don't you come to my place and I can help you make tea and we can hang out."

"Thank you." April said, dragging her words. She didn't see that coming, but was glad that he wanted to spend more time with her.

"Yeah, I mean…I'm not sure how to make tea, but I can ask Mindy to help with that and…"

"Wait a second." She stopped, holding a finger in the air. "You don't know how to make tea?"

"I-I never made tea, but it shouldn't be too hard. I mean, it's just boiled water, right?" April gave him a curious look and held her arms on her hips. "What?"

"You never made tea?"

"I never needed to make tea." He replied, noticing the judgmental tone she used. "And stop staring at me like that."

"I'm sorry, I'm just amazed by the fact that you don't know how to make tea."

"Okay, just stop it!" He demanded, feeling a little too uncomfortable with her stare. "I don't know how to make tea, but I do know how to make some sick pancakes."

"You do?" April asked, raising her eyebrow. "So you don't know how to make tea, but you do know how to make pancakes? Tea is like the easiest thing to do in the world." Jackson scratched the back of his head and looked down. April eventually figured out he was not really telling her the whole truth. "Do you really know how to make pancakes?"

Jackson looked back at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine." He said, giving up. "I don't know how to make pancakes, but I do know how to flip them and stuff."

"Huh huh!"

"I mean it." Jackson said, knowing she still had her doubts. "Mindy usually makes the base and I help her with the rest."

April gave him a long stare, squeezing her eyes, trying to tell if he was really telling the truth. He was looking at her with a puppy stare and she never found him cuter. "Okay, fine." She finally said, making him smile. "I believe in you."

"Good, 'cause I'm telling you the truth." He retorted. "Now, do you wanna come or what?"

She looked around, trying to see if her father was around. "Are you sure it's okay for me to go in?"

"Of course it is." He replied, noticing how nervous she suddenly had become. "Why?"

April looked at him and took a deep breath. Her father could not know about this, since she was not allowed to go into the house or even speak to Jackson at all. But she wanted to go with him and spend more time with him. So, she gave him a smile and simply said. "Nothing."

"Great!" Jackson didn't know why he was so excited about her finally going into his house, but this was his chance to spending time with her in a different setting. "C'mon."

He leaded the way and took the door keys out of his pocket, while April followed him conscious that she'd be in trouble if her father ever found out about this. However, in that moment, she didn't care. She just wanted to be with him. "So you use to cook with your housekeeper?" April asked, wondering what a guy like him – who never even learned how to make tea and had all the help he needed – made pancakes with his housekeeper.

"Well, Mindy used to make pancakes for breakfast when I was a kid." He said, walking in front of her. "I used to watch her do it and then she eventually let me help her."

"That's sweet."

"Flipping pancakes is the one skill that I'm actually really proud of." He joked and April let out a small giggle. Then, Jackson opened the front door and let her walk in first, which she did.

April stopped and waited for him to close the door. She stepped her feet inside his house for three times – this one being the third one. And it still amazed her how one person would need such a big house like this. Jackson started walking again and without realizing it, he placed one hand on her lower back. "Let's go." He said, making her move again.

Jackson took a few steps by her side, with his hand still on her back. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly proceeded to take off his hand and try not to look embarrassed.

April felt his hand on her lower back, but decided not say anything. His touch was something she found herself craving since the day she held his hand and started running with him away from the rain. She followed him in silence until they reached the kitchen.

"Oh, Mindy's not here." He stated, when he found the empty kitchen. "Okay, then…so, you want tea, right?"

"Yes. Tea would be nice." April watched him move around the kitchen island, obviously lost to where he was supposed to look for the things he needed. "Do you need help?"

"No, I'm fine." He replied, opening a drawer only to close it a second later.

"Are you sure?" She insisted, moving from where she was standing. "'Cause I think I'm gonna have to help you anyways, since you don't know how to make tea or…pancakes."

"Yeah." Jackson said, not looking at her. He continued opening up the cabinets unsuccessfully trying to look for whatever he was looking for. "Well, I'm just looking for the thing to make the tea, but I can't find it. I know we have it, because my mom always drinks tea when she's here, but I don't know where Mindy put it."

"I can help you look for the tea pot." April said, starting to open up cabinet doors as well.

"Okay, it must be somewhere in here." Jackson stated, trying not to make a fool out of himself. It was bad enough that he didn't know how to make her tea. Not finding the tea pot to actually make the damn tea was definitely not an option.

"Oh, here!" April exclaimed, holding the tea pot above her head as she had to squeeze to look for it on the back of a bottom cabinet. "Found it!"

"Nice." Jackson said, turning around to face her. Then, he walked towards her. "Okay, so now what?"

"We put water in it and we boil it." April handed him the tea pot to let him fill it with water.

"Okay!" Jackson grabbed the tea pot and started filling it with water. "Like this?" He asked, not sure to when to stop pouring water.

"Yeah, that's enough." April said.

"And now we boil the water?" Jackson asked, following her instructions.

"Hum, yeah." April took the pot from his hands and put it on the stove. "And then we wait. When the water is warm, we add the tea and that's it. It doesn't get any easier that this!"

"Cool!" He said, watching as she turned on the stove. "It's pretty easy, I guess."

"It is." April turned around to look at him and bit her lower lip. He was looking right back at her and she was amazed by his stare. It was like he wanted to say something else or do something else, but was doing it all in his mind.

Jackson couldn't keep his eyes off her, as usual. Everything about her was so captivating…even when she did the simplest thing, like boiling water, she was captivating. He wanted to tell her how glad she was there with him, how he would rather spend time with her than with his friends, how making tea with her was more fun than hanging out with his friends. The fact was she was still almost a complete stranger, compared to his longtime friends, but there was just something about her that made him feel comfortable.

"Since now I taught you how to make tea, how about I teach you how to make pancakes too?"

"That'd be great." Jackson replied, actually excited to be making food with her. Cooking was not his favorite thing and he never really needed to make food or any other thing for himself. He never paid attention to the kitchen or even tried using it to make food, but this seemed fun.

"Cool!" She said, moving to the pantry, forgetting completely to ask for permission. "Okay, we're gonna need baking powder, salt, white sugar, eggs, some butter, milk and flour."

Jackson followed her to the pantry amazed at how she knew the recipe by memory. "All those things?"

"Yep." She simply said, looking for the things. "Okay, can you get the eggs?"

"Sure." He replied. "How many?"

"Hum, I think two is enough."

"Okay." While Jackson looked for the eggs, April took everything she needed from the pantry and carried the things to the kitchen island. "Here are the eggs. What else?"

"We're gonna need a blender." She replied, turning to the cabinets again.

Jackson liked the way she moved around the kitchen. It was like she was home and didn't care to bother asking if she could open doors or look for things. "I think it's on that one." He pointed out and she reached for it, finding what she was looking.

"Great!" April said, moving the blender to the counter top. "Now all we have to do is to put everything is here."

As April told him the exact quantities, Jackson started putting all the ingredients inside the blender. When he was done, April told him to mix it up while she looked for a griddle. When she found one small round griddle, she placed on the stove. That was when she noticed that the water was already boiling. So, she took off the tea pot, but decided to keep the water inside it for a while. She didn't want to drink cold tea and it was for the best to keep the water in the tea pot to keep it warm. "The water is ready?"

"Already?" He asked, turning around to see her start heating the griddle for the pancakes.

"Yes, it usually doesn't take a long time, you know?"

"Right!" Jackson said, feeling a little embarrassed with his silly question. The mix was also ready, so he moved the blender and passed it on to April, who was only waiting for the griddle to get warm.

"See? Making pancakes is not difficult at all!"

"I can see that now." He replied. "And it's fun too."

"Well I think that the company makes the difference!" April shyly confessed, afraid to be pulling herself too much out there. They've been flirting since the first day and she couldn't stop thinking about him, but she didn't say anything in these terms until now. It was like she was actually affirming that she liked his company, which she did. And she didn't much to know that he felt the same thing, because the biggest smile appeared on his face when those words came out of her mouth.

Jackson smiled like a crazy person when he heard her say that, since he wasn't expecting it at all. He enjoyed her company more than he thought he ever would. And it was crazy to think about it because they hadn't spend that much time together at all. It was only yesterday that it really hit him that he would rather be with her than with his friends and it was all too confusing for him, because he didn't know her at all and yet, in her presence, he felt like they had been friends all his life.

They spent a few minutes just looking at each other, lost in each other's eyes. But then April was suddenly awoken from her thoughts and remembered what that she had a griddle heating in the stove. "Okay." She said, breaking the eye contact and placing one hand on top of the griddle to see if it was warm enough. "I think it's ready."

"Oh, ok!" Jackson watched as she poured some the mix into the griddle with the help of a spatula she found on the top drawer next to the stove.

"It's your turn now, Mr. Pancake Flipping expert." April told him in a teasing tone, moving to the stove's side to give him space to work.

"Alright, then!" Jackson said, taking position in front of the stove and taking the spatula from her hands. "I was not lying. I can make awesome pancakes!"

"We'll see about that." April said, placing herself with her back next to the kitchen cabinet near the stove. She watched as Jackson started taking care of the pancake and he was right. He did know how to make a perfectly round pancake.

"Aren't you going to drink your tea?" He asked, looking at the tea pot.

She turned around and all of a sudden remembered why he invited her to go inside in the first place. "Oh, right! Yeah. Where are the mugs?" She asked him.

"I think they're on that top cabinet." He replied, pointing. April moved and opened the cabinet, grabbing a mug. "Are you taking anything for the cold?"

"I don't think I have a cold, but my throat hurts." She informed him, looking for the tea bags in the pantry after she placed the mug on the counter top. "But I'll be fine."

"Yeah."

Just as April was starting to pour the hot water into the mug, they heard a voice coming from behind them. "Hum, hello?" It was Mindy and Jackson quickly turned around to find her staring at the pair with a confused look on her face "Mindy? Hey." He said, noticing that April turned around too.

"What going on here?"

"April and I are just making pancakes." He replied, hoping that she kept her mouth closed. He didn't want to embarrassed April and he knew that Mindy had a certain opinion about his new relationship with her.

"Pancakes?" Mindy asked, turning her attention to April, who was now holding the mug in her hands. "Ok, then."

April looked at Mindy with a certain uncertainty. She knew she was not supposed to be in the house, but as she tried to read the other woman's expression, she found nothing. She had a severe, but pleased look on her face and it was like she was trying to read April as well. "We'll clean up the mess later." It was all April could say.

"Don't worry about it." Mindy replied. "Hum, Jackson, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Jackson looked at April and gave her an apologetic smile and she simply nodded her head. Then, he walked towards Mindy, who moved to the room next door. "What?" He asked, when she stopped.

"I didn't even know you were home and now I found you in the kitchen with that girl!"

"And?"

"And? I was surprised, of course." Mindy replied. However, her severe face was gone in seconds and the biggest grin appeared on her face. "So, you lied to me?"

"I lied to you?" He asked confused.

"Yes. You told me you barely knew her, but I can tell you're interested in her."

"I'm not interested in her, okay!" He retorted, not comfortable with this conversation at all.

"You've been acting different lately…don't you think I've noticed?" She said. The truth was that Jackson was spending less and less time his friends this summer and she found it to be very strange. "And you've already asked me about this girl and…honey, I know something is up between you two."

"There's nothing going on between us. We're just starting to get to know each other and…" He took a deep breath. This was not the time to explain anything. "…you know what? I'm gonna go. April's all alone in there." With that, he turned his back on her.

April was with her back to the door, since she was making the pancakes herself. "Sorry, about that." He said, when he entered the kitchen. "Are you handling it right?"

"Yeah, I'm doing great, actually." She replied, moving to let him take over again. "Yours look better than mine, though." April admitted. We

He looked at the plate on his side and noticed how she quickly made a couple of pancakes. "They look good." She shrugged her shoulders and took a sip from her drink. "Is the tea alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's good." April replied, feeling the warmth of the tea doing wonders for her throat. "Hey, hum…did your housekeeper tell you I was not supposed to be here?"

"What? No. No, she just wanted to tell me something, but it had nothing to do with you. Don't worry." He quickly replied. "Okay?"

April nodded her head before taking another sip.

Jackson made another couple pancakes and then he turned to April and proudly showed her what he had done. "See, I'm the pancake master!"

She laughed, looking at the plate full of pancakes. "They look great."

"Wanna go eat them?"

"Yes."

"Great. Do you like Nutella?" He asked, putting the place down and moving to look for things to eat with the pancakes.

"I love Nutella."

"So do I!" He said, opening up the fridge. "Okay, we have Nutella, peanut butter, strawberries and bananas. What do you eat with your pancakes?"

"Hum, I really like them with Nutella." She replied.

Jackson turned around with the huge grin. "We have that in common, you know. I always eat my pancakes with Nutella…ever since I was a little kid." Then he turned around again to grab the Nutella bottle. "How about we take these and eat it inside?"

"Okay." She said, before looking for a couple plates and forks. Then, Jackson took the pancake plate and leaded the way into the living room.

April had never been in any other room, except for the kitchen and the hall. This was the first time she was really seeing the rest of the house and it was much bigger than she thought. However, she tried her best to hide her surprise.

The living room was a big space, with what it looked like to be very expensive furniture, a couple couches and a huge TV. Jackson placed the Nutella bottle and the pancake plate on top of the coffee table, while April followed him, placing the plates and forks on it too. Then, she both sit on the couch, not realizing that they were so close to each other, the side of their tights were touching. "They look really yummy!" April exclaimed, looking at the pancakes.

"Well, let's dig in." Jackson said, grabbing a plate and putting a pancake on it. "I love Nutella!"

"Who doesn't?" She replied, watching as he prepared his pancake.

Jackson finished applying a generous amount of Nutella on the pancake and smiled, handing her his plate. "For you!" He politely said.

April took the place surprised by his gesture. "Thank you." She said, wrapping the pancake into a roll and eating it like that.

"That's a nice way to eat them!"

"Oh, it's the best." She informed him, not caring that she was talking with her mouth full. "And this pancake…Gosh!" She said, rolling her eyes. "It's amazing!"

"Well you made them."

"We both did!" April said. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask you, but did you have fun with your friend yesterday?"

Jackson prepared another pancake for himself, taking a second to think about what he was about to say. "Hum, yeah…kind of."

"You don't seem too excited about it."

"I just…I don't know." He replied, feeling comfortable enough to share his thoughts with her. "I feel like things are a little different this summer."

"Why?"

"I don't feel any connection…It's weird." He continued, taking a bite of his pancake. "I've known my friends since what it feels like forever and now I feel like I don't know them at all."

"Hum, well…"April started, moving from where she was sitting to the edge of the couch, to sit with her back against the couch's arm. She sat with her legs under her body, making sure her feet didn't touch the impeccably clean couch, since she had her shoes on. "Maybe you're starting to realize you're not interested in the same things as your friends."

"Yeah, maybe." Jackson replied. "The thing is…it's weird. Finn's been my best friends since pre-school and I feel like were growing apart."

"People change, Jackson…and you're changing." She said. "And change can be good sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess so."

They stood in silence for a few seconds. April was watching Jackson closely. It looked like he was lost in his own thoughts and she wondered what they were. "What are you thinking about?"

He lifted up his head and faced her. "It's just…I don't know. I feel like if I change, people are not gonna like me anymore."

"Why?"

"Because I have friends 'cause I've been a certain way for a really long time and if I change, I feel like they're not gonna like me or something." He confessed. Jackson didn't know why he was feeling so comfortable talking to her about this issue, but it felt nice to take it out of his chest.

"Jackson, if they don't like for who you are, then they're not really your friends."

"You don't understand." Jackson cut her off, shaking his head. "It's hard when people have certain opinions of you and they expect things from you and you just keep doing the things you've always done because you're afraid to lose yourself in the process and…"

"But you shouldn't let people rule your life or the way you live it. You'll never be happy that way." April said. "And you'll end up losing yourself in the process anyways."

Jackson took a deep breath. She was right, but it wasn't easy thinking about the possibly of having to start all over again and lose everything he got just because he was changing. "Yeah…"

"Maybe you're not changing at all. You're just growing!" She continued. "And if they don't understand it, then they can screw themselves."

Jackson smiled, astonished with her outspoken mind. "You're right." He said, in a low tone. "Did you ever feel like you had to put on a mask to be around someone?"

April nodded and smiled back at him. "Jackson, you don't have to put on a mask so that people like you."

"But the thing is... I never really had to put on a mask before, because that was just the way I am, but lately I feel like things are not the same and I can't relate to people like I used to." He went on, thinking about not only his friends in the Hamptons, but also in boarding school. He had been feeling this way for quite some time now. "They will never understand."

"There's this great quote by a famous person that goes like..." April said, looking up at the ceiling to think about the quote for a second. "It goes like: 'You'll never see it my way, because you're not me."

"Who said that?" Jackson asked, surprised at the depth of what she said and relating to it somehow. "Dalai Lama?"

April looked back at him again and showed him a shy smile. "It was actually Britney Spears."

"Britney Spears?" He asked, with a judgmental tone. "Really?

"Yes, Britney Spears said that." She replied, giggling. "See? You're judging her for the things she did in the past or for the perception you have of her, but…"

"Okay, okay. I get it." He cut her off, knowing she was right once again.

"What I'm trying to say is...maybe they won't understand or maybe they'll change the way they act around you, but even if they don't understand you, it's okay." April continued. "They will never walk on your shoes or be in your position. They're not you, but that's fine. The problem is that...if they don't like you for who you are, then...they're not really your friends."

"Right!"

They stood in silence again. Jackson was considering everything she said, realizing she couldn't be more right. Then April broke the silence. "What are some of the things you feel like changed the most?" April asked, curious to know the side of him she didn't know yet. Jackson scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. April noticed before how he did that when something was on his mind, worrying him.

"Well…" He said, not wanting to offend her in any way. "I probably wouldn't be talking to you like this."

"Why?" April wondered, somehow upset with what he said. "What's wrong with you talking to me?"

"Nothing, but…if I were with my friends, last summer…I would probably be too embarrassed to talk to you or to be seen with you."

"What's wrong with me, then?"

"You ask a lot of questions, you know?!" Jackson tried to dismiss the issue. He couldn't tell her that he would probably not be talking to her because she was just the gardener's daughter.

She gave him a long stare, understanding that he was not going to expand his answer. Jackson noticed she was staring at him. So, he looked at her empty place. "Do you want more?" He asked, referring to the pancakes.

"Hum, sure."

Jackson leaned over the coffee table to prepare another pancake, glad she decided to go along and change the topic of conversation. They were having such a nice time that he didn't want to ruin everything by telling her that the fact that she was from a lower class would ruin their chances of becoming friends in the past.

"Jackson…" She spoke again. "You don't have to pretend to be someone you're not anymore. People will like you just the way you are." Jackson turned to face her. "I don't know how you used to behave, but so far you seem to be a pretty cool guy."

He smiled, flattered with her compliment, especially after how they started their relationship. "You seem to be a pretty cool girl yourself."

When he finished his sentence, Mindy made herself notice. "Hum, excuse me." She said, appearing in front of them. "But hum…I think your dad is looking for you."

"For me?" April asked, quickly changing her position to sit straight on the couch.

"Yes. I heard him calling your name outside."

"Oh, crap!" April stood up on her feet and took a few steps towards the door. Jackson followed her. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Okay." He replied, sad that their moment was over. "Well, I can walk you out."

"NO!" She hurried to shout. Her father could not see her with Jackson. "No, I can walk myself out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I told you my dad doesn't like seeing me with people from the house."

"Okay." Jackson said, still not understanding why she couldn't be seen with him. Then, he grabbed her arm and made her spin on her feet to face him again. "Wait."

"What?"

"Will I see you tonight?" He asked, afraid that he might be pushing his luck with her.

April didn't make any effort to set her arm free. And even though she was in a hurry, she wished she didn't have to leave just yet. "Do you want to see me tonight?" She asked him back.

"Yes…Yes, I do!" He confessed, without trying to hide what he really wanted. "So, will I see you tonight or…?"

"My dad usually goes to bed around ten." She replied. "I can't go out before that time."

"So I'll wait for you." He said. "10.30? Is that alright?"

"Yes. I'll meet you outside." April said, finally freeing her arm from his hand. "But now I really have to go."

"Okay." Jackson watched as she quickly left through the kitchen backdoor. Then, he turned around and found Mindy looking at him with her arms crossed against her chest. "Don't!" He warned her, walking back to the living room.

"Oh, I'm not gonna say anything." Mindy replied, not moving as he passed by her. "I already saw what I needed to see."

…

Jackson looked at his watch for the 50th time in the past hour and saw the time once again. It was a 10.25 PM. 'Finally!", he thought. He spent the rest of the day thinking about the time he was going to see her again. He even planned out what he was going to do with her if she agreed and the waiting was killing him. But the time was finally here and he was more than ready.

He put on his sweatshirt before leaving his room and making the way downstairs. The house was quiet so he figured that Mindy was in her own room.

Once he stepped outside, he waited for her. The garden was dark outside, but he decided to take a few steps closer to the little house she shared with her father, trying to do it as silently as he could.

He waited for a couple more minutes when he saw her coming to meet him. She was still wearing the same outfit as before, but her hair was no longer in a braid. It was loose, cascading down her back in waves. He help up his hand as she walked towards him. "Hey!"

"Hi!" She greeted him in a low tone.

"So you didn't have any problems coming out?" Jackson asked, using a low tone as well.

"Hum, no. My dad is in bed. I sneaked out and we'll be fine."

"Good."

"It's not the first time I sneaked out."

Then Jackson remembered how he found her using his pool late at night. "Right!"

"I'm becoming a pro!" She said, smiling.

He focused on her smile for a few seconds. The night was dark, but her smile lit up the whole mood around them. Then, he shook those thoughts from his head and decided to go on with his idea for tonight. "I've been thinking and I wonder if you want to do something different tonight?"

"Different?"

"Something fun!"

"What is it?" She asked, full of curiosity.

"You really ask a lot of questions!" Jackson exclaimed, smiling, when April looked at him and gave him a fulminating stare. "Okay. Just follow me."

…

**AN:**

Hiii!

New long chapter full of Jackson and April for all of you who asked.

I hope you liked it. Please tell me what you think and review.

Now, before anything else I just want to explain my vision for this chapter: you know when you meet someone and all you want to do is spending time with them? When you start thinking about that person and you wished you were with them? That's what Jackson and April are starting to feel for each other. We've all been in love and we all know that those are the 1st stages of falling in love, right?! Jackson is starting to open up with April and she will eventually open up with him too.

Another thing is you all should read Wibbi's reviews. Wibbi is really getting it and right on track with my vision! Maybe you all are, but to all of you confused, maybe you should read the reviews.

Writing long chapters like this one takes a lot of time, so I hope you enjoyed it and can tell me if you did by reviewing. I have the biggest smile on my face when I see that you're enjoying the story.

Anyways, hope you liked it. I'll update as soon as I can.

Love, Annie.

PS: English is not my 1st language. Any mistakes you find PM me and let me know.


	8. cold hands, warm heart

He focused on her smile for a few seconds. The night was dark, but her smile lit up the whole mood around them. Then, he shook those thoughts from his head and decided to go on with his idea for tonight. "I've been thinking and I wonder if you want to do something different tonight?"

"Different?"

"Something fun!"

"What is it?" She asked, full of curiosity.

"You really ask a lot of questions!" Jackson exclaimed, smiling, when April looked at him and gave him a fulminating stare. "Okay. Just follow me."

Jackson started walking towards his house and April followed him silence. When she met her father earlier that day, she had to lie and tell him she was taking a walk on the beach so that he wouldn't find out where she had spent the past hours. She waited nervously for 10.30PM, the time she was supposed to meet with Jackson. The moments they spent together earlier that day and the way they talked openly with each other made her realize that there was a different side of him that she never expected to see.

Jackson led her into the house through the kitchen's door. "Where are we going?" She wondered.

"Just wait and see." He told her, making his way through the kitchen. Jackson would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. What if she didn't like it or found what he had planned for them too weird? He had never planned doing anything like this before and he wasn't sure if that was the best thing to do. Maybe she was going to find it too corny, but when he sat on his bed that afternoon, thinking about things he could do with her that night, nothing else came to mind but this.

When they passed the kitchen and the long hall, Jackson started heading upstairs, but April stopped. "What are you doing?" She asked, making him turn around and see the confused look on her face.

"Oh, crap!" He exclaimed, afraid to be giving her a bad impression. "No, this isn't what it looks like. I'm not trying to get you to my…"

"You better not!" She cut him off, not needing to hear more. Was he taking her to his bedroom? Because if he was, then he wasn't going to be lucky with her.

"No, no!" Jackson quickly tried to explain. "I'm not trying to…"

"I don't know what you think of me, but I'm not those kinds of girls, you know?" April said, with a slight note of anger in her voice. Then, she turned around, determined to leave.

"No. Please…listen." Jackson moved and placed himself in front of her, blocking her way. "I don't think that about you."

"I don't know the kind of girls you hang out with, but I'm not…"

"April, c'mon. Listen." He said, trying to make her stop so that he could explain himself. "I'm not trying to do anything…I'm…I was taking you upstairs because the thing that I want you to see is upstairs. Nothing more."

"Hum? Why should I believe in you?" She asked, crossing her arms against her chest.

"I swear. It never crossed my mind to take you upstairs to…you know." He replied, never thinking about the possibility to be caught in this position. "Please."

She stared at him for a few seconds, trying to read him. "What's upstairs?"

"Something really cool that I want you to see." He answered. Maybe it was for the best just to tell her what he had planned, but he thought about making a surprise and he didn't want to ruin it.

April took a deep breath and finally gave up, deciding to believe in him. Now she was more curious than anything else to see what he had upstairs. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes." She replied, noticing the surprised look on his face. He seemed genuinely relieved.

"Great!" Jackson said, glad she didn't doubt him anymore. "Let's go, then."

"You better not be lying to me!"

"I'm not. I swear." He said, guiding her again up the stairs. "I'm not even taking you to my room."

"You're not?"

"No." Jackson replied, a little embarrassed with the whole situation. "I don't have a balcony in my bedroom."

"Why do you need a balcony for?" April asked, confused.

"You'll see."

"You're being very mysterious tonight." They quickly walked up the stairs, while Jackson led the way.

They stopped in front of a door, which Jackson opened, and they stepped in. April looked around the dark room and it appeared to be an office. So far, he was telling her the truth. This was definitely not his bedroom. Then, she saw Jackson opening the window doors to the balcony and that was when she saw it. "A telescope?" April asked, following him to the balcony. "You have a telescope?"

"I do." He replied, noticing the sudden excitement on her voice.

"Do you even know anything about reading charts or looking for constellations and stuff?" April stepped closer to the telescope and placed her hands on it.

"Not really." Jackson said. "My grandfather gave me this telescope a few years ago. He's really into this kind of stuff and he even tried to get me into it, but…"

…

-_flashback-  
Hours earlier_

"What are you doing?" Mindy asked, watching as Jackson opened and closed storage cabinets in the basement.

"Hum, I'm just looking for the telescope grandpa gave me three years ago." He answered, not looking at her.

"Why?" She asked again.

"Because I want to use it, of course." Jackson replied, with an annoyed tone. "Are you gonna help me find it or not?"

"Okay, relax." Mindy said, moving from she was to look for the telescope. "You haven't used it in years. Why do you want it now?"

"Because I want it."

"Is this because of your date with that girl tonight?"

Jackson quickly turned around to face her. "It is not a date." He firmly replied. "And you have got to stop listening to our conversations."

"Oh, please…don't you think I know you're starting to like this girl?"

"Don't start with that now." He said, turning his attention back to what he was doing. "We're starting to be friends."

"You've never searched for the telescope for another girls!" She acknowledged, pushing his buttons on purpose to see his reaction. "You never made pancakes with another girl either. That has got to mean something."

"It doesn't mean anything." Jackson said, starting to get a little tired of her presence. "Can you just leave me alone? I'll look for it myself."

"You won't have to. Here it is!" Mindy said, pointing to the telescope.

"Thanks." Jackson grabbed the telescope and headed upstairs, to set it up.

_-end of flashback -_

…

"You can take a look." Jackson said, stepping closer to her and the telescope. He had already set it up and all there was for them to do was to look through it.

April put her eye closer to the lens and took a peek. "This is so cool." She exclaimed, overflowed with excitement. "I mean, you can see the starts so clearly."

"Pretty neat, isn't it?" He watched as she carefully maneuvered the telescope, pointing it to different directions. April seemed happy with the surprise, so he couldn't be more pleased.

"Oh, I love this!"

"I actually haven't used it in a while."

"Oh don't lie to me." She retorted, taking her eye from the lens and looking at him instead. "I bet you take a lot of girls here so you can show off."

"I don't. I swear. You can ask Mindy if you want to." Jackson defended himself. And the fact was, he was telling the truth. "You're the first one. Actually, you're the first person ever to come here and use it. I've never showed it to any of my friends…ever."

April smiled and stepped away from the telescope, to let him take a peek too. She realized she was unfair to him when she thought he was taking her upstairs to do something more. He was actually pretty sweet. "Look, about before… I'm sorry if I doubted you."

"It's okay." He said, turning around to face her again.

"No, it's not." April continued, feeling bad for the misunderstanding. "I'm really sorry, but guys nowadays…let's just say they get a little frisky."

"Don't worry about it." Jackson said, understanding what she meant. However, he didn't want her to think about it and ruin the mood. It was for the best if he changed the subject. "So, what do you think of it?" Jackson asked, pointing to the telescope.

"It's like the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"It kind of makes you feel small, you know?" April continued, looking at the dark night sky. "Looking at how big the universe is and thinking about the fact that millions of people are probably staring at the same moon as we and it's like…here we are, just tiny humans compared to this." She said, pointing to the sky.

"Yeah." Jackson said, moving to be closer to her, near the balcony's wall. "It puts everything in a new perspective."

"The world is so big." She said. Then she turned her attention back to him. "Hey, where would you like to be right now if you could?"

"In the world?"

"Yeah, like if you could just snap your fingers and be somewhere…where would it be?"

"I don't know." Jackson replied. It was the truth. He had no clue. He had been pretty much everywhere and visited the most amazing cities, but he was actually pleased with where he was at the moment. "I like where I am right now."

"Oh, c'mon, Jackson." April said, crossing her arms against her chest. "I'm sure there's a place you dream about going one day."

"I'm telling you the truth." He retorted. "I wouldn't like to be anywhere else."

"I don't believe you!"

He smiled, looking back at her. "How about you?"

"Paris." He heard her say. It didn't take her a full second to reply and he wondered if she had been thinking about it for a while. "Really? Why?"

"Hum, when I was little, my aunt went to Paris and she brought me a cute little postcard…with the Eiffel Tower and…" April replied, with the same excitement tone she used when she saw the telescope. "I've been wanting to go there ever since."

"You've never been to Paris?"

"Nope." April said, shaking her head. "Have you?"

"Yes." He noticed how suddenly her eyes lit up, how her expression changed. She looked like a little girl, waiting to hear her favorite bed time story.

"And?" she enthusiastically asked.

"It's a cool place."

"Cool?" April asked, looking a little disappointed with his answer. "Just cool?"

"Yes, I don't know." Jackson replied, scratching the back of his neck. "It's fine."

"It can't just be fine, Jackson!" April said, shaking her head once again. She had never been to Paris, but just 'fine' was not the proper adjective to use. "It must be amazing."

"To be honest, I only went there because my mom made me go." Jackson confessed and it was the truth. He was fourteen when his mother made him fly with her over to Paris so that she could introduce him to some important people. He realized in that moment that he had never mentioned to her who he or his family was and that she would probably not understand what he meant. But it was better off this way. He was actually enjoying not being seen as 'Jackson Avery' and he wanted to keep things that way for now. "She wanted to introduce me to some people. I didn't have much time to go sightseeing."

"Oh." She sighed in a disappointed tone.

"But who knows?" He quickly said. "Maybe one day we can go there together."

"Maybe!"

Jackson noticed how she shyly smiled and he smiled too. Her smile was contagious. "That would be fun! I mean, we could go to the Eiffel Tower and take actual pictures there."

"And we could go to Notre Dame." April joined in the fantasy. "People say it's beautiful."

"We could also buy freshly backed croissants…"

"…and we definitely need to try the cheese." She continued, with the biggest smile spread across her lips. "They say the stinky ones are the best."

"Oh and I know you're a girl, so you'd love the Champs-Élysées and all the stores." Jackson went on, getting actually excited with the whole idea. "My mom always goes crazy there."

"Well, Jackson…" April said, smiling at his innocent thought. "Your mother is one very lucky lady, but not all of us are fortunate enough to shop there."

"Right. Sorry" He said, realizing now that the stores in there where mainly very expensive.

"It's okay. Don't be embarrassed about it." She reassured him. "We could always window shop."

"Yes, we could."

"I'd love to do all those things…with you." April confessed, holding her arms tightly against her chest. The night wasn't cold, but she could feel a little breeze and she had forgotten to put on a cardigan before she left to meet with him.

"It's a deal. We're definitely going." Jackson said. "But you have to promise something first."

"What?"

"You have to promise me you won't throw me into the Siene."

"Why would I do that?" April asked, laughing.

"You threw me into the pool. Remember?" He replied, laughing too.

"I had my reasons." She said, remembering the incident. "You were smoking."

"Well, that's not enough reason to push me into the pool, completely dressed."

"It's a nasty habit." April retorted. "And if you smoke while we're in Paris, then I'm gonna push you into the Siene too."

Jackson laughed and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, then…I promise not to smoke ever again. Happy?"

"Very."

"Good. We're okay to go then." Jackson said, holding his hand up in her direction. "Let's shake on it!"

April looked at his hand and smiled. Then, she held up hers to shake his.

Jackson noticed how cold her hand was and all of a sudden realized how she was still wearing the same short pink skirt and white tank top. Without further notice, he freed his hand and grabbed the edge of his sweatshirt. "You must be freezing."

"What?" She asked, not aware of what he was doing.

"You can have my sweater." He continued, pulling his shirt above his head.

"I'm fine. You don't have to…"

"I want to." Jackson said, handing her the sweatshirt. "Besides, your throat hurts. You should put it on."

"But…"

"Take it." He cut her off. "I have a tshirt. I'll be fine."

April grabbed the sweatshirt and smiled. "Thanks." She said, before putting it on.

"You're welcome." The sweatshirt was a couple sizes too big for her, but Jackson thought she never looked cuter.

The first thing April noticed when she put the sweatshirt on was how warm it was. It had his body heat and it warmed her own colder body instantly. Then, she noticed the smell of his cologne and her first reaction to it was to discreetly put her arm against her nose and inhale his personal scent through the sleeve.

They stood in silence for a few awkward seconds, just staring at each other. Jackson felt the need to speak again, since he didn't like to the sudden awkwardness between them. So, he turned his attention to the telescope again. "Hum, do you think we can find a planet?"

April looked at him and was glad he found something to talk about. "I don't know."

Jackson leaned in to take a look through the lens again. "Probably not. I don't understand how it works."

"Yeah, me neither. Don't you need like charts and stuff to do it?"

"Hum, yeah…probably." He replied, still looking through the lens. "I have no idea what I'm doing, really."

"Well, I have no clue either so…"

"Yeah." Jackson said, finally giving up and moving away from the telescope. "You know, about what you asked before… I think I know where I wanted to be if I could."

"Oh really?" April asked, wondering if he had been thinking about that this whole time. "Where would that be?"

"A place where no one knew my name or who I was."

"Interesting." She replied, noticing how he was looking at the floor, lost in his thoughts. "Why?"

"I don't know. It's just something I have on the back of my mind all the time."

"Really?" April asked again, but Jackson simply nodded his head. "So you don't like being Jackson Avery? Son of Catherine Avery? Grandson of the great Harper Avery? Heir to a legacy?"

Jackson quickly turned to face her, with an astonished look on his face. "What?" He thought she didn't know anything about him. He really thought that he had a blank page with her and that to her, he was just a normal guy. It hit him like a rock when she revealed that she knew about his so called 'legacy'. "How do you know about that?"

"C'mon, Jackson." She said, seeing his incredulous face. "Did you really think that I wouldn't do some research about my father's boss before I got here?"

"I thought…" He was feeling very exposed at that point. It was like all of sudden she had figured out all of his secrets and what he thought to be the beginning of a new relationship, built from zero, only to realize that he was wrong. She had him figured out a lot time ago. "I thought that you didn't know…"

"I do. I know who you are." April admitted. She noticed how his mind was running a million miles an hour.

"Oh, I-I don't even know what to say."

"What's wrong?" She worried. April felt the atmosphere suddenly change. They were having a nice time just minutes ago and now things felt a little awkward and she didn't like it.

Jackson moved from her side to the edge of the balcony. "It's like a curse." He confessed. "Everywhere I go people know who I am. Even with you…I thought that to you I was just…"

"Jackson, it's not like that." She followed him. "All I know about you is your name. I see you as Jackson…just Jackson."

Jackson looked at her again and she could see the hurt behind his eyes. "You didn't tell me anything."

"I thought it was irrelevant." She replied, feeling bad for bringing the issue up. "Because I don't really care that you're Jackson Avery."

"But you know I'm an Avery and I thought that with you I could catch a break and just…"

"Be yourself?" April asked, finishing his sentence. "Haven't you been yourself with me? From the day we met, you've been yourself and I've never acted differently than I would've had if you didn't have that last name." Jackson took a deep breath and moved his eyes away from her. April noticed it and feared that he was doubting her sincerity. "And don't you think for a second that I'm gonna treat you differently, because I won't…ever!" She said, hitting his shoulder lightly with her fist, but he didn't say anything. "Jackson…" April sighed desperately.

"I guess that…" He started saying, looking at her again. "…you have to promise me something then."

"What?" She asked, in a low tone, afraid of what was coming out of his mouth next.

"You have to promise me that you'll never treat me differently."

"I promise." April said, somehow relieved to see that he wasn't mad at her. "I'm sorry."

"I guess I'm used to it. People know and will always know who I am." Jackson said. "That's why it would be awesome to escape and just go to a place where no one knows my name."

April placed one hand on his upper arms without realizing what she was doing. She just wanted to let him know that she didn't care about his last name or where he came from. She wanted to reassure him that with her, he could be himself. "Jackson, you don't have to worry about it around me." She started caressing his arm unconsciously and he smiled. "Plus, you owe me a trip to Paris, so…"

He let out a small laugher and turned around. They were facing each other now, their bodies almost touching. "Right!"

"We shook on it." April continued, taking her hand off his arm.

"If we shook on it, then…" Jackson smiled and closed the space between them. "…we're definitely going."

"Paris."

"Paris. Me, you and Paris… one day."

April smiled and they stood in silence for a couple of minutes, until she spoke again. "Hey, hum…do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"No." Jackson replied. "Why?"

"'Cause now you do!" She quickly said, noticing the puzzled look on his face.

"What?"

"Tomorrow at 2PM be ready, ok?"

"What are we doing?"

"Well, you got to surprise me tonight. Now is my time to surprise you." April replied, in a flirtatious tone. "But, I should probably go now, though. It's getting kind of late."

"Oh, okay." Jackson said, feeling a little disappointed with her remark. "Sure, if you want to."

"Yeah."

Jackson led the way back downstairs. The house was in complete silence and when they reached the kitchen, he insisted on taking her home and she agreed. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked.

"Of course." April replied. "And thank you for tonight, Jackson. It was really awesome."

"You're welcome."

"Thanks for bringing me home too." April said. "Oh, and tomorrow meet me at the front gate."

"At two. I'll be there." He replied, putting his hands on his pockets, not really wanting to leave her just yet, but knowing that if was for the best. "So, yeah…Bye."

"Bye." She watched as Jackson started walking back to his house. She really enjoyed their evening together. It never crossed her mind that he would prepared all that and she couldn't help but to feel a little bad for doubting him, thinking him he was only taking her upstairs for other reasons. So, she felt the need to thank him for the sweet gesture.

"Hey, Jackson?" Jackson stopped when he heard her voice and turned around to face. Then, April took a few steps to meet him again and without him expecting it, she placed a sweet kiss on his left cheek.

"Good-night." She said, quickly turning around and going home.

He just stood there without moving, watching her go.

…

_The next day_

Jackson was waiting for April at the front gate for the past 10 minute. She wasn't late. He simply decided to wait for her sooner than they had scheduled.

If before last night she was the only thing he could think about, then today he was more excited than ever to meet up with her. He went home the night before thinking about the kiss she gave him. It was a simple, innocent kiss, but it made him think about her even more.

Then suddenly he saw a blue Chevy pickup truck stop on the driveway and he realized April was inside of it on the driver's side. "Hi!" She said, in a joyful tone after rolling down the truck's window. "Are you ready?"

Jackson looked at her a little bit confused. Then, he pointed to the car with a not so thrilled look. "What's this?"

"What do you mean 'what's this'?" She replied. "It's my dad's truck. Pretty sweet, huh?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"What?" April noticed the disapproving look on his face and quickly figured it out. "C'mon, Jackson. Are you embarrassed to be seen in my truck?"

"No." He lied, when in truth he was a little mortified to be seen in public in that. "I just…it looks really…old."

"It looks old, because it's old." She replied. "But it works. My dad drove from Ohio to here in it."

"Are you sure it works?" She gave him a fulminating stare and he could tell he was making her angry. "Can't we just take my car?"

"NO!" April firmly stated. "Now, are you coming or not?"

Jackson thought it out for a minute, but she saw the impatient look on her face and it was for the best not to piss her off. "Fine."

"Great! Let's go."

"But…" He started, opening the door on the driver's side where she was sitting. "Only if I'm driving."

"What?" She asked in a high-pitched tone.

"Otherwise I'm not going." Jackson said, thinking that it was going to be even worse to be seen in that old pickup truck being driven around by a girl. "How badly do you want my company?"

April stared at him, thinking he could not be serious about it. But since he was making an effort, than so would she do it. "Okay." She finally said, stepping out of the car to let him take her place. "But you don't even know where we're going."

"Where are we going then?" He asked, as she made her way around the car to sit on the passenger's side.

April opened the passenger side's door and sat down. "Do you know where the Montauk Point Lighthouse is?"

"Hum…no. Never heard of it." Jackson replied, starting the car to leave the drive way. "But don't worry…I'll figure it out."

"How do you not know where it is?" She asked a little outraged that a person like him, that used to spend his summers here, had never heard of it.

"I've never been there."

"Really? Shame on you!" April said, pointing a finger at him. "People say it has an amazing view."

"Yeah, well. If we get lost and never get to see that amazing view, it's gonna be your fault." He retorted, keeping his eyes on the road. "If we took my car, we could use the GPS."

"GPS is for pussies!"

"What? Why?"

"Don't you like a little adventure? Not knowing exactly where you're going."

"Nope. Getting lost is not that exciting. "

"You're not fun!"

"Hey, I'm fun!"

"Whatever!" She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Just get us there."

"But why do you want to go there anyways?"

"I've got my camera." April replied, taking her camera out of her bag and showing it to him. "I want to take some really sick pics. The view there is great, so…"

"If you want to take pictures of the ocean, you could've just walked to the beach in front on my house." Jackson said, in a playful tone. But then he turned to face her and saw the unpleased look she had on. "What?"

"Just drive, please."

Jackson shook his head and turned his attention back to the road. "So, did you sleep well last night?"

"Hum, yes." April lied. She didn't sleep well, because she barely slept at all. Actually, she spent the night writing in her little red notebook about what had happened before she had gone home. Images of the deep blue sky, the shiny starts and of his green eyes kept coming to her mind and she simply couldn't fight them. And the fact that she had told him she wanted to spend the next day also didn't help with her nerves. "And you?"

"Yep." He replied, lying as well. "Did you have fun last night?"

"I had so much fun, Jackson."

Jackson noted the excitement in her voice and when he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, he saw her smile too and couldn't help but to feel extremely pleased with himself. "We should do that more often."

"Totally!"

.

They drove for a while and obviously got lost when Jackson made the wrong turn, but they eventually reached their destination.

After going to the top of the lighthouse and Jackson waiting patiently for April to take all the pictures she wanted to, they found a place to sit side by side, facing the ocean.

April was going through the pictures she had taken with her Polaroid camera, while Jackson admired her talent. She really had a good eye for taking pictures. Then he remembered that was a picture she had taken that brought them closer together. "So you're into photography?"

"Yeah. Capturing moment." April replied, paying close attention to a picture she had taken from the lighthouse. "It's just something that I love doing."

"Where did you learn?"

"Taking pictures?" She asked, never taking her eyes from the photo. "Hum, I don't know. Nobody taught me. It's just something that I started doing for fun."

"Well." Jackson started, leaning over to see the picture she was observing closely. "You're really talented."

"April lifted her head and faced him, smiling. "Thank you!"

"It's true."

"How about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. What are your talents?" April asked, putting the pictures down to focus on him instead.

Jackson saw her curious stare and moved his eyes to the ocean in front of them. "I don't have any talents." He said. "I'm not really into anything."

"C'mon, Jackson." She said, noticing the sudden change on his mood. "Everybody has a talent."

"I don't."

"That can't be true!" April insisted. She knew his mind was somewhere far away from where they were by the lost look in his eyes. "Like what are some of the things you like to do? Like in your spare time and stuff?"

"Hum, I don't know." Jackson replied, still not looking at her. "I like playing basketball, but that's not really a talent."

"It takes talent to be a good basketball player." She quickly said, trying to make him feel better. "Did you play in school?"

"I did." He said, nodding his head. "But…I don't know. I don't really see it as a talent."

"Coming from the family you come from, you must have some talent!" April stated, not sure if bringing the issue up would help. From the reaction he had the night before, she realized that his origins was something he didn't feel comfortable talking about. However, she decided to continue. "You basically come from an awesome line of surgeons."

"How do you know about that?" Jackson asked, instantly looking at her. That was when he remembered what she had told him about knowing who he was. "Nevermind."

By the expression on his face, April made a mental note not to bring up the issue again. "What else do you know about me?" She heard him ask. "Hum, not much. I know who your mom and grandfather are and…that's it." April replied, wondering what he must have been thinking about her. "I'm not a weirdo or anything."

"You did made a research before you got here." Jackson stated, putting an emphasis on the 'did'.

"It wasn't intentional! I didn't mean to look for you specifically." She fastened to clear up. She definitely didn't want him to think she was a creep. "I just…I really like your mother's work."

"My mom's work?" Jackson asked completely surprised.

"Yeah, she's a kick ass surgeon." April replied, but he still had the same puzzled look on his face. "I mean, I read some of her essays and…"

"You read medical essays?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

She could tell Jackson was shocked and it would be easier if she explained him why she was a fan of his mother. "I want to be a surgeon one day. A surgeon just like your mom."

"Really?"

"Why? You don't?"

"Even if I wanted to, no one would take it seriously." He confessed, looking at the ocean again. "In my family, I'm the pretty one. You know…my eyes, my smile…my body. I mean, you should see without a shirt on. It's kinda ridiculous." When he said that April tapped his arm, making him look at her again. "I mean it."

She hadn't seen him shirtless yet, but she could tell that he had some defined muscles under his short. "You're so full of yourself!" She said, smiling. He smiled back at her and leaned to her side, to bump her with shoulder with his. "But that doesn't mean anything. You can be pretty and all, but that doesn't have anything to do with intelligence or…"

"It does. For my smart, driven, crazy overachievers' family it does." He cut her off, with a more serious tone now. "And they look like they're smart. For my family I'm just the pretty one. They expected nothing from me. Never pushed me, never thought to."

"And?" April asked, raising her eyebrows.

"And what?"

"It doesn't matter if they look at you a certain way or not…in your case." She replied. "If no one pushes you, then you should push yourself. Prove them they're wrong."

"You don't understand." Jackson started, shaking his head.

"Oh, but I do!" April jumped to say. Jackson looked at her again not expecting that kind of answer. The fact was she wasn't even aware of what she was about to say until the words came out of her mouth. So, she took a deep breath and decided to come clean with him. "I'm from a small town in Ohio. Moline? Ever heard of it?"

"No."

"That's what I thought." She said. "I have three sisters: Alice, Kimmie and Libby. My dad's a gardener, mom's a teacher. We're not rich, you know? And supporting three girls in not the easiest thing in the world. So, when I told my parents I wanted to become a surgeon one day, do you think they clapped and tapped me in the shoulder? No!"

"Why?" Jackson asked, not quite understanding the reason. It would be a motive of pride for any parent if their child decided to be a surgeon in the future.

"I was fourteen when I first told my parent that I wanted to become a surgeon. They laughed in my face and my sisters basically made fun of me for a whole year."

"Why?"

"Well, my sisters I think they thought I didn't have the guts to become a surgeon." She confessed, losing herself in her own memories of those times. "My parents told me straight away they didn't have the money to send me to college. So I should just basically forget about med school."

"What did you do?"

"I pushed myself…hard. Really, really hard." April replied, noticing the concerned look on Jackson's face. "I studied. I focused on my studies and I eventually got a scholarship."

"Oh cool. So you're going to college?"

"I am and I'm going to prove them wrong. I'm gonna be a surgeon one day." She proudly replied, with a huge smile on her lips.

Jackson saw her smile and couldn't help but to smile too. After hearing all that, he was actually relieved to know she was going to be able to follow her dreams.

"And Jackson, don't bother with other person. Think about yourself and about what you want for yourself, what you love to do."

"It's easier said than done."

"That's why you have to push yourself." She continued, trying to make a point. "And push yourself hard. Nobody said it was going to be easier anyway."

"That's true."

"So, what are your dreams?"

"I told you." Jackson replied, shaking his head again. "I don't have any. I don't know what I want to do with my life or…"

"Everybody has dreams, but…" She cut him off. "…if you haven't figure out yours yet, it's okay. Just don't let other people's expectations determine who you are or what you do."

Jackson didn't reply at first. He simply stood in silence for a few minutes, appreciating her and her words. He had met this girl in the most unexpected way and she found a way to get into his life unpredictably. However, looking back, he could not be happier with the way things turned out to be. "April Kepner, you continue to amaze me."

"Why?" She shyly asked.

"You always seem to have the right words to say."

April let out a small laughter. "Well, for your information I'm a very wise person." She joked.

"Right!"

"I mean it!"

"Oh, I believe you." He retorted, laughing.

"But hey!" April said, in between laughs. "About what I said…prove them wrong. Don't be afraid of proving them wrong. And I also believe you have a secret talent inside. Maybe you haven't found out what is it yet, but you will. I know you will!"

"Well, maybe my talent is taking pictures too." He said, trying to lighten up the mood. Then he took the camera from her hands and pointed it at her. "C'mon..."

"What? No!" April hid her face with her hands. "I don't like when people take pictures of me."

"Why?"

"I'm not photogenic. I don't look good in pictures."

"I'm sure you do." Jackson put the camera close to his eye and continued. "You look good in real life, so!"

April smiled behind her hands, hearing another compliment coming from him felt really nice. "Jackson! Stop it." But he didn't listen to her and kept trying to take her picture. "No. Jackson give me the camera. I'll take your picture. You're the pretty one after all."

"Haha. Very funny." He replied, looking through the camera. "I'm gonna take your picture anyways. Even if you don't want to."

"Jackson…"

"Just smile for me, please!" He said, putting the camera down and staring at her with a serious look.

April looked at his green eyes and at the smile he was trying to cover, to make himself look more serious. "Fine." She finally gave up. "But only because you're being very annoying right now."

"Okay." Jackson said, with a huge grin on his face. "Now smile for me please." April sat up straight, facing him. Then, the brightest smile appeared on her face. Jackson held the camera again and took a peek. She looked naturally beautiful. "See? It wasn't hard!" He said, when he took the picture.

"Let me see that." April demanded, taking the camera from his hands and waiting for the photo to reveal the image.

"You look cute." He said, when the image was finally clear.

"I do not look cute."

"I don't care what you say." Jackson said, grabbing the picture from her hands. "I'm keeping it."

"Don't you dare!" She threatened him, but it was too late. Jackson already hid the picture behind his back and shook his head.

"It's mine." He continued, hiding the picture from her. "It's my first real picture. I can always become a famous photographer and this may be worth a lot of money one day."

"Give me the picture!" April firmly said, attacking his arms. "Jackson…"

"It's mine!" He said, defending himself from her. "You're gonna have to fight me for it."

"Oh, I'll fight you. Don't you ever doubt that." April retorted. Then, she reached for his hands, without any luck. He grabbed her arms and tried to control her, but she was surprisingly strong and he found himself tangled in her arms. "I can kick your ass in a second." She said, moving his body to be closer to him, but Jackson held the picture above his head.

"You're very stubborn. You know that, right?" He asked, when she tried to reach for the picture. In a moment, he grabbed her hands – as they were about to touch his – and held them. At this point, April was almost in his lap. Suddenly Jackson turned her around and was able to tackle her against the grass they were sitting on.

There had always been tension between them, but nothing ever compared to what had just happened. Jackson looked at her and noticed how blushed her face was. She was a surprisingly strong girl for her frame and he had quite a hard time stopping her. Then all of a sudden he found himself on top of her. Their faces too close to each other, his hands holding her arms against the floor, her chest going up and down fast, as she breathed heavily. Their bodies have never been so close, since he was literally on top of her. All of a sudden, they stopped fighting and the smile they had on their faces disappeared. "Sorry." Jackson said, when he realized what he was doing. Then, he quickly sat again, freeing her from his arms.

"It's okay. I started it." April said, fixing her hair and shirt as she sat as well.

"No, I shouldn't have…sorry." He continued, feeling a little embarrassed with the whole situation.

"It's okay." They stood in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to make the other feel as awkward as they felt, but it was impossible not to feel the awkwardness in the air. "We should go."

"Yeah, we should go."

"It's getting late anyways."

"Yeah, it is." Jackson uncomfortably replied, watching her stand up and standing up as well.

"But, hum…we can see each other tonight." April continued, starting to take a few steps back to the car.

"Definitely." He said, still trying to recover from what had just happened. "Same time, same place."

"Yep."

...

It was a little over 10.30 PM when April finally got the chance to sneak out of the house. Her father was asleep and she couldn't wait to meet with Jackson. When she finally was able to leave, she looked for him in the darkness of his garden, but he wasn't hard to find since he was waiting for her near her house.

"Hey!"

"Hi!" She greeted him, joyfully. "How are you since this afternoon?"

"I'm good!" He replied, noticing she was wearing a pair of jean shorts and the grey sweatshirt he borrowed her the night before. So, he pointed to the sweat and asked. "Isn't that my…?"

April looked down to what she was wearing and felt her cheeks blush. "It is! Sorry, I forgot I was wearing it." She replied. "Do you want it back, 'cause I can…"

"No, no it's cool."

"It's just so comfy that I put it on and forgot that it was yours." She was partly lying. Yes, she had put the sweatshirt on because it was very comfortable and pleasantly warm for that time of the year. No, she didn't forget the sweatshirt was his. Actually, the smell of his cologne was still in the sweatshirt and she liked feeling the proximity to his body the sweat made her feel. Her mistake was coming out wearing it. She didn't mean to, but she simply forgot she was wearing it.

"It's fine." Jackson reassured her. "It looks better on you anyways."

"Thanks." She said, putting her hands inside of the sweatshirt pocket. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"

"I didn't plan anything." He replied. "But, hum…we can take a walk."

"A walk sounds great."

The both started walking towards the end of the property, not really paying attention to which was they were going. "Does your throat still hurt?" Jackson asked.

"No, I think I'm fine now." April replied. "But remind me to never stay with me wet clothes for my more than a minute ever again."

"Okay." He said, smiling, remembering how she almost caught a cold for running in the rain and being stuck with him in a shed for quite some time. "Well, if you didn't run like you did…"

"I don't want to talk about that again, okay?" April retorted, smiling, knowing he was only joking. "So, what did you do after you got home this afternoon?"

"Not much." Jackson said. "Went for a run, then took a shower, talked to my mom on the phone. She told me she might come here soon."

"She's coming?"

Jackson looked at her and grinned. She looked like a little girl hearing that the most famous pop star was coming to town. "Are you fangirling over my mom?"

"What? No, Jackson, I'm not fangirling."

"You're totally fangirling over her."

"I'm not..."

"You are!" He insisted, noticing the cute embarrassed expression on her face. "You're probably the person in the world I know who would fangirl over my mom."

"Shut up." She said, throwing him a soft punch in the shoulder. "I'm not fangirling over her. I admire her work, that's all."

"I can always introduce you to her when she's here." Jackson said, loving the excited look on her face. "But you have to promise me you won't pass out or something." He continued to tease her.

April fulminated him with her eyes. "I'm won't pass out."

"I'm just kidding." Jackson said. "But I will introduce you to her when she's here." They were heading towards the end of the property, walking side by side. "And you?"

"I just cooked dinner." April replied, knowing she didn't just cook dinner that afternoon. She spent a good two hours looking at the pictures she had taken at the lighthouse, because in some of them he appeared, and writing about it in her journal.

"Your dad didn't ask you where you were all day?"

"Hum, no. I told him where I was." She did tell her father where she was going and that she needed the truck. She just left Jackson out of it, but he didn't need to know about it. "I mean, of course I had to tell him, since I took his truck and all."

"Yeah, about that truck…" He started. "Don't expect me to drive it ever again!"

"What? It's a great truck."

"You obviously don't know anything about cars."

"And you're obviously not seeing all the potential of my dad's truck!" She joked, laughing.

"And you're obviously in a serious need of going on a ride in my car." He said, in a playful tone as well. "Next time, we're going in my car."

"Fine!" She rolled her eyes and realized they were starting to walk down the wooden path that gave access to the beach. "Don't you think it's took dark out there?"

"It probably is, but we can just sit and talk."

"Okay." April said, taking her hands off of her pocket. The wooden path was so straight, that as they walked side by side, their hands slightly touched.

Jackson felt the back of his hand touch the back of hers and something inside of him made him want to grab her hand and hold it. Slowly, he started pulling his arm closer to hers. April looked at him and smile. Somehow he knew that had understood what he was trying to do, but she didn't pull her hand away. She simply gave him a shy smile. It was his sign. So, he touched her hand slightly, only to hold it a second later.

"Your hands are cold." April said, almost in a whisper.

Jackson smiled. "They're always cold." He replied. They walked hand in hand until the end of the wooden path. Then, they stepped out of it and started walking on the sand.

"You know what they say about that, right?" April asked, never letting go of his hand. Jackson looked at her, but shook his head. "Cold hands, warm heart."

"I didn't know that."

"Now you know."

"Well, I guess this summer I'm gonna be learning a lot of things with you." Jackson said, in a low tone.

"I guess so. I mean… I already told you I'm very wise person, Jackson." April said, making a reference to the conversation they had earlier that day.

"And I believe in you!"

She smiled and they remained in silence for a few minutes. Walking hand in hand felt natural to them. It seemed so natural, that it didn't even feel like it was the first time they held hands when in fact it was. When April left her home that night to meet with him, she never expected this to happen. However, she couldn't be happier with it.

"April?" Jackson asked, catching her attention and making her look up at him. "Look." He said, pointing to a couple in front of them. They were lying in the sand, kissing, and covered by a blanket and so into each other they didn't even realize people were coming.

"Oh!" April exclaimed, stopping and making Jackson stop as well. "Oh. Wow!"

Jackson moved his eyes from the scene in front of him to April, who had a confused look on her face.

"Do you think they're doing what I think they're doing?" She asked.

"Hum, I don't know, but…I think they're pretty close to it." Jackson replied, loving her perplexed expression. He smiled to himself thinking she couldn't look more adorable. "We should just walk back."

"Definitely."

Jackson made her turn around and was glad he stopped the couple in time to avoid an awkward situation.

"Do you think they're dating or…?" April innocently asked.

"I don't know, but it didn't seem like it was their first date." Jackson replied. "But who knows, right?"

"Right." April said, hoping to erase that image from her head. "People usually don't do that in first dates."

"No, they don't." Jackson replied, wanting to change the subject and turn her attention back to them. "Do you remember your first date ever?" He asked. It was the only thing that came to his mind.

"My first date ever?" April timidly smiled. She wasn't the kind of girl to go out with many boys, but she remembered her first date ever. It was an experience she hoped to never live again. "My first date ever was with Robbie Spratt. I was fifteen."

"Who's Robbie Spratt?" Jackson asked, when a sudden jealously hit him. He didn't know he was so jealous of this guy all of a sudden.

"It was a kid at my school. Smart, very polite, but so freaking cocky." April replied. "I had a major crush on him. When he asked me out I freaked out. I mean, you have no idea what it's like to be a fifteen year old girl going out with her crush."

"Yeah. So what happened?"

"We saw a movie and I was having fun and all, but I figured he wasn't as cool as I thought he was." April confessed. "When the night was over, he took me home and he tried to kiss me."

"Did you let him kiss you?"

"Hum, no!" April said, much to Jackson's surprise. "I slapped him in the face."

"You did?"

"Yes, because he tried to kiss me and I didn't want to kiss him." She explained, noticing the surprised tone in Jackson's voice.

"Okay!" He said, irrationally glad she never kissed that guy. "So, would you slap any guy who tried to kiss you?"

April looked at him and understood his question. He was trying to know more than what he was trying to say. So, she decided to be as clear as possible with him. "Hum, no. I mean, it depends. Robbie Spratt was a jerk." They stopped walking and Jackson placed himself in front of her. "If you like a girl and she likes you back, then is you should try and kiss her." She said, taking a step closer to him. "Because if she liked you, she will accept your kiss and kiss you back."

He stared down at April, looking directly into her eyes and as the space between them closed, they both could feel the tension grow. It was like something was pushing them, making them want to feel each other closer. Like a magnet, they were being pulled into each other.

Jackson noticed how April licked her lips and how he craved feeling them. The attraction he felt for her in that moment was undeniable and he just wished he could stop having this thoughts for a minute, because they were taking over his body and he didn't know how much he could wait. He started raising his arms to wrap them around her waist. He didn't realized how much he wanted to kiss her lips until now. As soon as his hands touched her waist, her body shivered. He focused on her eyes, never leaving them.

April looked into Jackson's eyes and felt his chest close to hers. Suddenly, her heart started beating faster and her whole body became numb. They were taking it a little too far, but all she knew was that she wanted to kiss him. When she felt his hands on her waist, she felt them pulling her closer to him and for a second she had to shake the thoughts in her head and try to remember how they found themselves in that position. However, it wasn't worth it. She was already too lost in his eyes.

Jackson moved one hand from her waist to the side of her face. April moved her hands to his chest, resting them there. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

Jackson closed his eyes as well and cupped her face. Then, his lips touched hers for the first time.

…

**AN:**

Hey guys!

New chapter. Long chapter.

I hope you liked it. Please leave a review and tell me what you think of it! Your reviews mean the world to me. They really inspire me.

Thank you so much for all your reviews and support so far!

Anyways, hope you can continue to enjoy reading the story!

Now…were you expecting that kiss? What do you think it's going to happen next?

I guess you're gonna have to wait and see.

Love, Annie.

PS: English's not my 1st language. Sorry for any mistakes you might find.

PS2: I used Jackson's speech (from the show) about being pretty and all.

PS3: I loved how April used to be Catherine's biggest fan.


	9. it's complicated

Jackson moved one hand from her waist to the side of her face. April moved her hands to his chest, resting them there. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

Jackson closed his eyes as well and cupped her face. Then, his lips touched hers for the first time.

It was soft and simple kiss. A sweet peck on the lips. Then, their lips parted. Neither of them knew what to say or what to do. Jackson could feel April's body shaking. So, he opened his eyes and looked at her. Then, he moved his hands down to her waist. She still had her eyes closed. It was like she was still taking it all in. This moment was happening and neither of them wanted it to end. However, the moment was only starting.

As Jackson moved his hands down to April's waist, she placed her hands around his neck. Then, she took a deep breath. She could feel Jackson's eyes lingering on her, but she didn't dare open hers. His lips were soft and incredibly smooth and in that moment she wanted nothing more but to feel them again against hers.

Jackson saw how April licked her lips. The desire was undeniable. He needed to taste her again. So, he leaned forward, catching her lips again. However, this time the kiss was not a simple peck on the lips. When their lips touched for the second time, the desire they both were feeling could not be hidden anymore. Jackson slowly opened his mouth, leading April to open hers as well. His tongue gently made its way into her mouth and she allowed it vigorously.

Their tongues intertwined together effortlessly and Jackson pulled her closed to his body, deepening the kiss at the same time. He wanted to taste her completely and know every corner of her mouth.

April closed her arms around his neck even tighter, looking to find some balance. Her knees were falling her and she needed to find some support. All the days and nights she spent thinking about him since the day she first met him finally led to this moment. And the way he was kissing her was about to drive her crazy. She had never felt anything like this in her whole life. Her whole body was caving in to him and she couldn't control herself anymore.

Jackson could feel her body against his own body and all his senses were triggered. As he continued to kiss her deeply, the sudden thought of how this girl was driving him completely crazy came to his mind. He never thought that a girl could make him go crazy like this and he surely never expected for April – the girl who got into his nerves the first times he saw her – to play the part of the girl who messed up with his head. When he realized that, he pulled away from the kiss.

April felt his lips part from hers and opened her eyes, only to see his looking at her. Then, he placed his forehead against hers and took a deep breath, closing his eyes in the process. She closed hers as well and they stood like that for a moment, just enjoying each other's warmth.

After a few minutes, Jackson finale found the strength to speak. "April…" He whispered. April looked at him, but before he could say anything else she moved her hands and placed them in both sides of his face. Then, she leaned forward and kissed him again.

Jackson caught her lips and kissed her back. He was finding her lips to be toxic and there seemed to be no way he could escape them. This was the first time they kissed, but he already knew he was going to be addicted to her and her delicate lips. Kissing someone never felt that good. So, he let all the desire he had consume him once again and deepened the kiss.

April let out a soft moan when his tongue entered her mouth again and Jackson smiled against her lips after hearing it. Then, she felt the need to breath and broke the kiss. "Wow." She let out, completely overwhelmed by what she was feeling

"I know." He simply replied, understanding exactly what she meant. "You…" He was out of breath. "You're a really good kisser."

April bowed her head, shyly. It was the first time she was hearing a compliment like this. "So are you."

Jackson moved a piece of her hair and put it behind her ear. He couldn't hide the grin he had on his face. "You…" He said, making April look up at him again. However, he decided to keep it to himself what he was about to say next. She was driving him crazy and he was about to say it out loud. But he couldn't said it out loud. He couldn't think about it at all. He could not let a girl drive him completely crazy. But it was obvious that the attraction he felt for her grew stronger every day and he was not ready for what could happen next. Subconsciously he knew that the next step was falling in love with her, but he had never been in love with anybody else and he didn't know what to do.

"Jackson?" She trying to caught his attention, after noticing how for a minute he got lost in his own thoughts.

He heard her voice calling for his name and quickly was pulled back from his feelings. However, he decided not to say nothing at all. He chose to kiss her again instead. It was a simple peck on the lips, but it was enough to make his body shake.

A sudden feeling of guilt consumed April for a minute. She was warned by her father not to see him. She was warned that she could not talk to him. April never expected to disappoint her father. "We should go, now." She said, taking her hands from his face and taking a step back.

Jackson's hands feel off her waist as she took a step back. "What?" He asked, a little surprised by her sudden move.

"It's getting late. We should go." She replied, turning her back on him and starting to take the first few steps back to his house.

"April?" He asked again, following her. She sped up her pace, but he took her hand and made her look at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." She said, continuing to move, but freeing her hand. "We should go."

"Did I do something…?"

"No." She cut him off, stopping and turning to face him. "It's not you, Jackson. It's just…" He was staring at her, trying to understand why she suddenly freaked out. "I'm not allowed to see you."

"What?"

April noticed his confused stare and took a step towards him. "I'm not allowed to see you or talk to you." She confessed. "I'm not allowed to be with you. So, I definitely should not be kissing you right now."

"But why?" Jackson couldn't deny that he was a little hurt by her statement.

"Because…" She continued, taking a deep breath. "My dad… I don't know. He told me I should stay away from you."

"Your dad doesn't like me?"

"No, it's not that." She quickly replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's just…"

"What, April?"

She noticed how she was losing his temper, but the hurt in his voice was noticeable too. "He said you have a reputation."

"A what?"

"Look, I don't know why, but he says that you have a reputation." April continued, taking her hand from his shoulder. "He heard how you were kind of a rebel around here and he…"

"That doesn't make any sense."

"But this is not about you, Jackson. I promise."

"Than what is this about? Your father heard rumors about me and he jumped to the conclusion I'm a…"

"No, please listen." She said when he raised his voice. "This is not only about you, this is about…"

"About what?" He almost shouted. "Tell me at once. Stop being so damn mysterious about…"

"I'm not allowed to date!" April said, cutting him off and raising her voice over his. "He warned me about you because I was going to be living in the same property as you, but the truth is I'm not allowed to see any other guys. I'm not allowed to date."

Jackson blinked fast, not sure if he was more surprised with her confession or shocked by it. "You're not allowed to date?" April nodded, too embarrassed to say anything else. "Why?"

"Jackson, let's just go." She said, taking his hand and squeezing it. She didn't feel comfortable talking about this now.

"No, I want to understand. I mean…why can't you date? Why does your father have a say about who you date or even if you date or not?"

April took another deep breath knowing there was no way he was going to let her get away with this. Then, she cupped his face again and looked at his dark green eyes. "You're not the problem, Jackson. Believe me."

"Great then…"

"But…" She didn't let him finish. "Can we please go home now and talk about this tomorrow."

Now he knew for sure that this girl was definitely going to drive him completely crazy. He never felt this kind of frustration before. He let out a deep breath and looked right into her begging eyes. Then, he took her hands and tangled them with his. "Damn!" He said, putting his forehead against hers. He was starting to fully lose it. In one hand, the feeling he was experiencing inside were so new to him; On the other hand, he just wanted things to be simple when they never seemed to be.

"Jackson?" She whispered, knowing how much she wanted to kiss him again.

"Yeah?"

"Your hands are still cold." She continued, feeling the cold of his hands on her arms. April noticed how he smiled at her statement.

…

Jackson walked April home and after they said their good-byes for the night, he decided to go home. Entered through the kitchen, he saw Mindy standing there, arms crossed against her chest and a serious look on her face. "Where have you been?" She asked.

Jackson closed the door and thought that he couldn't be more unlucky. Not only he and April decided to stay friends for now, he also had to deal with Mindy and her nosy attitude. "Nowhere." He replied, quickly passing by her.

"Hey!" She said, almost shouting. "Jackson Avery, don't turn your back on me. I raised you better than this."

Jackson stopped and turned around to face her again. "What?" He asked, in an annoyed tone.

"What?" She repeated his question. "I've been looking for you for the past forty minutes and you say 'what?'. You leave the house, disappear for the face of the earth and you don't even have the decency of telling me where the hell you've been!" He didn't say a thing, knowing that even though she was being annoying, she was probably right. "Then I finally look through the window and I saw you walking that girl – the gardener's daughter – home. What's her name again?"

"April."

"April, right!" She continued. "Were you with her this whole time?"

Jackson looked at her and slightly embarrassed said. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

She stared at him like she could see through his soul and he knew she had it all figured out. "Okay, I was with April." He finally confessed, since there was no point on hiding this from her. Especially when he was sure she knew all about it.

"And?"

"And what?" He asked.

"And what were you doing with her?"

Jackson felt his cheeks burn and he tried not to stumble in his own words. There was no way he was going to tell her what just happened and how they kissed. "Nothing. Just talking."

"Just talking? And you want me to believe you?" She knew Jackson too well. He was not the kind of boy who simply chose to spend time with a girl to just talk. However, he had been acting differently lately and she noticed the difference in his behavior and in his ways. "Is something going on between you and that girl?"

"No." He replied, looking at the floor and putting his hands in his pockets.

Mindy noticed how she had never seen him had this time of reaction before. "You've been spending a lot of time with this girl." She stated. Then his cheeks were turned red and she could tell he was acting a little bit more nervous than usual. "Are you starting to like this girl?"

"Hum, no…" He quickly replied. But then he looked up at her and let out a deep breath. "Maybe…Yes…I don't know."

Mindy tried to hide the smile on her face after seeing her boy admitting this sort of feelings to her for the first time in her life. "You don't know?"

"It's complicated, alright?"

"What's complicated?"

"I don't know." Jackson nodded his head and moved to sit on one of the chairs of the kitchen island. "I like spending time with her. She makes me feel… comfortable." He tried to think for a word to describe it and for the lack of a better one, he chose that. And it was true. She made him feel comfortable and the types of conversations he had with her, he would never have with his friends.

"I already told you this, but I'll say it again." Mindy said, seeing how lost in his thoughts he was. "She seems to be a nice girl."

"And she is." He continued. "She's a really nice girl and when I talk to her I feel…different. I feel like I can be me and she makes me feel good about being myself. She makes me feel like I can do things I never thought I could or be someone I never thought I could." Jackson said, thinking about their past conversations. "When I'm with her I feel things that I never…" He stopped talking, afraid to be talking more than he should for his own good.

"Oh my goodness!" Mindy exclaimed, taking a seat next to him. "My boy is falling in love."

"What? No!" Jackson denied, shaking his head. "No, I'm not…I'm just…"

"Honey, it's okay to be in love. You're eighteen. Now it's the time to fall in love and…"

"I am not in love! We're just friends." Jackson firmly said. "See? This is why I don't have conversations like this with you. You and your crazy ideas about…"

"Jackson, calm down." She demanded, when he started talking really fast.

"I'm calm!"

"Fine! But listen to me." Mindy said, taking his hand. "You like her. You told me you were starting to like her. Do you think she likes you too?"

He nodded and said. "Yeah. I mean, I don't know, but… maybe!"

Mindy smiled and squeezed his hand, reassuring him of his feelings. "Then wait and if something has to happen, it will happen." Jackson sighed and looked at her before she continued. "And don't let this feeling go away. Enjoy it. There's no better feeling like being in love."

"For the last time." Jackson said, standing up from his seat. "I'm not in love. Besides, we're just friends."

"Huh huh! We'll see about that!" Mindy said in a low tone.

"And I'm going to bed now." Jackson continued, taking a few steps towards the door.

"Fine. You can run away from your feelings, but they will get you in the end." Mindy said, as he stepped out of the kitchen.

…

_The next morning_

Jackson put on his swimming trunks and his _Jordan _Chicago Bulls jersey. Then, he put on his sneakers and headed downstairs. It was almost 11 AM and was in desperate need for a workout. He and April agreed on meeting later and since he slept until 10 AM, he figured that he still had time to work before seeing her again.

The events from last night kept him awake until 2AM, because he simply could not shake the image of her lips so close to his of his mind. He could swear he could still feel her taste and the softness of her lips in his or hear the moan she let out when their tongues met.

He went down to the beach – the same beach where they kissed the night before – for a run. He had always loved running. It was always the time he could be by himself just thinking about life in general.

After the run, he went back to the property and started doing push-ups. However, soon enough he felt a presence behind him and stopped.

"So, Jordan, huh?"

Jackson looked at April and smiled, glad she was there. Then, he stood up and faced her. "He's the best player of all time!" He replied, noticing how she pretty she looked, wearing a pink summer dress. He also noted how she was holding a towel in one hand and a bottle of sunscreen in the other "How are you this morning?"

"Very good, thank you." She replied, trying to not to stare at his muscled arms. "I was about to go to the beach."

"Really?" He said, thinking that it made sense that she was holding the towel and the sunscreen in her hands.

"Yes. My dad's out. He went to town to get some supplies and he won't be back to lunch, so I figured that since I don't have to cook for him, I might as well enjoy the sun!"

Since her father was nowhere near them, Jackson saw this as the perfect opportunity to spend time with her without her being worried about being seen with him by her father. "Funny you said that…" He started, also thinking about how it was the perfect opportunity to tease her as well. "'Cause I was just about to go to the pool." Then, he started lifting his Jersey over his head, exposing his bare chest.

If April was trying not to stare at his arms before, she couldn't stop staring at his defined chest. "O-okay. You, hum…you were?"

"Yep!" He said, placing his hands on his waist, pleased with the reason he got from her. "Do you want to join me?"

April couldn't stop looking at his sweaty chest. She knew he was making that on purpose, teasing her, maybe even showing her what she could be holding if she didn't insist on them being just friends. "So? Do you?" She heard his voice inviting her again. But if he was playing her, then she could play with him too. This was game they both could be playing and she didn't want to be left behind in this teasing game. So, she looked at his face, moving her eyes from his chest, and shrugged her shoulders. Then, she dropped the towel and the bottle of sunscreen on the floor and said "Sure!" before taking off her dress, exposing the white bikini she was wearing underneath.

Looking at her picture-perfect figure, Jackson almost drooled. If he thought he had her on the palm of his hands a few seconds ago, then now he was sure that she was the one who got him all along. He took two steps forward, craving to be closer to her and feeling her body against his like he did the night before. He wanted to taste her again, plant a kiss on her lips and take her breath away with it.

Then April bent over and picked up her towel and sunscreen and, with a false innocent smile, she said. "Let's go!" After that she started walking towards the pool, while he followed her.

…

**AN**:

They kissed. They both freaked out. Jackson is feeling very confused because he never experienced falling in love before and April is afraid of her father. Want to know why her father doesn't allow her to date?

However, the fact is the tension is strong and they both are starting to want to be with each other. Will the desire make them cave in? Will they kiss again?

Anyways, thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope you liked this chapter.

Review and let me know what you think!

Love, Annie

PS: English is not my 1st language. Sorry for any mistakes or typos you might find.

PS2: Sassy April is my fave! Remember that in this alternative universe she's more bold and sassy than on the show!

PS3: Do you want for the next chapter to be a little sexier or what? Let me know!


	10. spiderman

"Let's go!"

He watched her as she started walking towards the pool area, still astonished with what just happened. When he took off his shirt, trying to impress her, he never expected to see her pull her dress over her head and expose her body.

Jackson followed her, not even trying to make an effort not to look at her perfect round behind. He had seen her in a bikini before, but never this close.

"So, hum…" Jackson started, speeding up his pace to walk next to her and not behind her. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Hum, yes." She replied, knowing she was lying. "And you?"

"No." He said, without even taking a second to think. "I didn't. I couldn't sleep at all after what happened last night."

"Jackson…"

"Look." He stopped her, taking her hand and making her face him. "What happened last night…the way we kissed…I…"

"I told you. We can't." April cut him off. She spent the entire night playing the kiss in her head and all she wanted to do right now was to kiss him again. However, she promised she wouldn't do it. She was going to fight it. It was better off this way.

"I know. You told me you're not allowed to date, but all I'm asking is that you give me a chance." He continued, staring at her beautiful but somehow sad eyes.

"Jackson…" She said, after taking a deep breath. "It doesn't work like that. You don't understand."

"Then tell me. Make me understand, because the truth is I don't understand." Jackson stepped closer to her. He was still holding her hand. So, with his free hand he moved a lock of hair from her forehead and leaned down. "April, I…" He was about to say he was going crazy over her, but he forced himself to stop the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He couldn't say them out loud. Otherwise, they were going to sound more real than what he wanted them to be.

"Jackson…" April caught his attention and looing right into his eyes she said. "There's a lot I haven't told you yet, but I will. Trust me. I just…we can't be together right now." She said, watching as he shook his head in disappointment. "But we can friends."

"Just friends?"

"For now at least." She concluded, letting him know by her last remark that she was willing to give him a chance. She still needed to figure out how, but the way she felt about him was making it hard to let him completely go.

Somehow Jackson understood what she meant and a small smile appeared in his face. "For now."

"C'mon." April smiled as well and without letting go of his hand she leaded him to the pool. "Let's have some fun, okay?"

Jackson sighed, but chose not to say anything. At least he was going to have the change to be with her now. As friends, of course. But 'as friends' sounded better than nothing.

When they reached the pool area, April threw her towel to one of the sunbathing chairs and sat on it, letting go of Jackson's hand.

"Wanna jump in?" He asked, turning his back on her facing the water, not noticing that she was opening the sunscreen bottle and starting to spread the product on her free hand.

"Give me a minute." April replied. Jackson turned around and watched as she carefully placed her hands on her right leg to apply the product. "I have to put sunscreen on before. I don't want to turn red like a lobster."

"What?" Jackson asked, walking towards her as she started working on her left leg.

"Have you seen my skin tone?" She said in an ironic tone, as Jackson stopped right in front of her. "Trust me. The sun is not my friend. I don't tan. I burn… if I stay in the sun for too long without sunblock, I'm gonna look like a lobster."

"You'd be a hot lobster, though." He stated, placing his hands on his hips and looking down at her.

"What?" April felt her cheeks blush, but Jackson simply smiled at her and sat down on the chair next to her. "Anyways…" She continued, trying to change the topic. "You should put sunblock on as well."

"I think I'm good."

"Jackson, the sun can be very dangerous." April said, placing sunscreen on her belly and arms. She could feel his eyes on her body and he wasn't even trying to hide his stare. However, she made it seem like she didn't notice it at all. "You don't want to get skin cancer or something more…"

"Can you more dramatic?"

"I'm not being dramatic. I'm being reasonable here."

"Whatever." He said, not being able to control his eyes. They kept running up and down her perfect pale body. Then, Jackson heard her voice calling him and he forced himself to look at her face.

"Come here."

"What for?"

"I can't reach my back." April said, holding the bottle and looking at him. "Can you help me?"

"Hum, okay." Jackson moved from his chair and April gave him some space so he could sit down.

"Here." She said, handing him the bottle.

April moved her hair to one of her shoulders leaving her back completely exposed. "So, hum…yeah." He mumbled, completely losing his words as he put a small amount of liquid in his hand. Then, he placed his hands on her back.

April felt a chill down her spine when she felt his hands on her back. It made her slightly jump. His hands were surprisingly soft.

Jackson spread the sunscreen on her back in silence. When he touched the sting of her bikini, and placed his hands under it, he felt her soft breath, as her lungs inspired and expired air, and the softness of her skin through his fingers. However, he was being as respectful as he could be. He didn't want to cross any lines or make her feel uncomfortable. Once he reached her lower back and completed his job, April turned her head slightly to her right, looking over her shoulder. Facing her after those few minutes of intimate contact made him wish he could hold her and plant a long sweet kiss on her lips. 'We're just friends' He thought to himself repeatedly. They were just friends…or at least trying to be.

"Hum, I'm all done!" He said, pushing his thoughts away from his mind.

"Great! Thanks." April smiles and replied. Then she stood up from her seat and started walking towards the pool.

"So you're ready?" He asked, watching as she touched the water with her left foot. April looked at him and moved towards him again. Then, she took his hand and made him stand up as well. "Oh, I'm ready!" He heard her say, as she simply nodded her head. She gave him one of those daring smiles he loved so much and he didn't even need to ask for more. The next minute they were both jumping into the pool, hand in hand, making the water splash all over the place.

When they both came to the surface again, April quickly fixed her hair, moving it from in front of her face. They were both close to each other, laughing like little kids. "That was fun!" Jackson said, standing in front of her.

"Yes!" She replied, so close to him their bodies could almost touch. "But the water is so cold!"

"It's not that cold. See?" He said, throwing a bit of water with his hand in her direction. April moved her hands to cover her face and let out a small scream. "See?" He kept throwing water at her.

"Stop it! Jackson!" She said, but then he grabbed her from her waist and lifted her up inside the water. "Jackson, what are you doing? Put me down!" But he didn't put her down. Instead he smiled and dropped her off in the next second. When she appeared again, she looked at him and pointed a finger at him. "You did not just do that!"

"I was just helping you with the water." He excused himself, lifting his arms in front of his chest, in surrender.

"Oh really?" She said, moving closer to him. Then, she tried to push him, by placing her hands on his chest, but he grabbed her by the wrists and struggled with her.

"I'm stronger than you!" Jackson stated with a smirk on his face.

"We'll see about that!" April retorted, while freeing her wrists from his hands and placing her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him into the water without any success.

"Oh, will we?" Jackson asked, placing his hands on her waist as she, completely unconsciously, lifted her legs, resting them around his hips. Then Jackson moved and only stopped when her back hit the pool wall. "What about now?"

"What about now?"

April stopped fighting him and let her hands rest on his shoulders, allowing him to rest his on her waist. "I win. You're cornered."

"I guess I am." She said, almost glad she had to give up the fight. "But you don't win."

"I don't win?"

"Nope!" April replied, shaking her head. She moved her hands from his shoulders to his bare chest. "This isn't over yet."

"How so?" Jackson felt her light touch on his chest and closed the space between them, moving his hips against her as she tightened her legs around him. Then, he moved his head, leaning it towards her, dying to feel her lips again against his. However, he stopped, as his head rested a couple inches away from hers.

"Well, it just isn't." She continued, tilting her head, whispering closely to his lips, yet not touching them. "I like to win. I'm not letting you win this easily."

"Yeah? Well, in that case I must tell you that I like to win too." Jackson said, pausing for a second to look down at her perfect pink lips, remembering all too well how they tasted like. Then, he moved his head, decided to capture them once again. However, all he felt was April's finger on his lip, as she stopped him, not letting him go any further.

"We're just friends. Remember?" April said, not moving her finger from his lips. "Friends don't kiss… not like this at least."

"Then how do friends kiss like?" He asked, moving his lips against her finger.

"Hum, I don't know." She replied, taking her finger off his lips and placing her hand on his right shoulder. Then, she moved her other hand to his left shoulder. "How do friends kiss like?"

Jackson licked his lips, dying to put them to good use. Then, he rested his forehead in hers. "I'm not used to kissing my friends. So, I don't know either." After he said that, he felt April moved her hands from his shoulders, up his neck, placing them on each sides of his face. She made him look up at her, but didn't say anything at all. "Because we're friends, right?"

"We are. We're friends." April said, caressing his cheeks with her thumbs. "However, I don't think friends get caught in this type of…position." She continued, mentioning the way she was being held back against the pool wall, with her legs around his hips and his face close to hers.

"I don't think they do. No." Jackson replied, moving his hands from her waist to her thighs. "What else friends are not allowed to do?"

"Fiends…they don't…" She tried to say, almost losing her senses with his touch. "…they don't touch the way you're touching me right now."

Jackson squeezed his hands, allowing himself to feel her flesh beneath his fingers. "They don't." Jackson went on, feeling his body starting to lose control of his own actions.

April let her head fall down to the side of his right cheek, lowering her hands back to his neck and moving her face so that her lips were touching his lightly. "And…hum…friends…" She continued. "…they don't let their bodies come this close."

Jackson swallowed and closed his eyes. She had her legs around his hips, her hands on his neck, her mouth touching his face and his hands firmly squeezing her thighs. He felt that the member inside of his swimming trunks ready to make an appearance, but he didn't want to scare her or make her feel awkward around him. He just needed to control himself, but it was getting harder and harder as her lips traveled lightly to his neck.

"April…" He whispered, wishing she would stop what she was doing, but hoping she would not at the same time.

"I know." She mumbled against the skin of his neck. "I know…we're just friends."

"And yet you're teasing me." Jackson said, trying to focus the best could even though his member was starting to grow against his trunks.

"I am?" She asked, almost in an innocent tone. "But friends don't tease friends."

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, opening his eyes to find her biting her lip. Jackson knew she was playing him, like she always did. He usually didn't mind, but this time he could not allow himself to be played by her like that. Not in these circumstances anyways.

"What? You don't like it when I tease you?"

Jackson let his head fall back, shaking it. Then, he looked back at her and said in a low tone. "I like it more than I should."

April smiled and nodded her head. "I guess that makes it two of us!" With that, she managed to untangle her legs from his hips and with one hand she pushed him, making him take a few steps back. Jackson stood still for a couple minutes trying to pull himself together, while she swam to the other side of the pool behind him.

April didn't know what had just happened, but that she was very close to lose her mind completely and get lost in him. She wasn't just teasing him. She was enjoying the proximity of their bodies and the way he was holding her firmly. That's why she let go of him. That's why she had to swim away from him. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to control herself.

When Jackson felt like he was completely ready to face her again, he turned around and spotted her getting on her feet after swimming to the other side of the pool. She had her back to him. So, he took a deep breath and dived. Moving his feet and keeping his hands in front of his body, he only stopped when they touched the back of her legs, making her jump in surprise. April quickly turned around and he reappeared above the water. "Tell me why." He said, cleaning the water from his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Why you're not allowed to date."

She thought for a second about it and figured that there was no point on not telling him the story behind it. "Okay. I'll tell you. C'mon."

Jackson watched as she started moving to the stairs to get out of the pool. The way her body looked when she came out of the water was an image that he hoped to never forget. The water dropping off her body, the way she twisted her hair to try and dry it somehow, the way she had to fix her bikini bottom with her hands... and her body. The best part of all that image was her body.

He followed her and got out of the pool, sitting on the sunbathing chair next to hers. She used her towel to dry her body the best she could, but then she took a deep breath and didn't wait any longer. It was better to tell him already. "So, I told you I can't date, right?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye and saw him nod. "Right. Well the problem is not you. You're not the problem, Jackson. I can't date…period."

"But why?"

"Well, I've got three other sisters. I told you. Libby, Kimmie and Alice. We're four girls." She started, moving her eyes to the ground to avoid his stare. "My dad is very protective of us, but it's understandable. I mean, can you imagine being the father of four girls? So, we're not allowed to date. No dating. That's the rule."

"But why? I mean, I understand that he's trying to protect you, but…"

"Because we're girls and because my dad is very…conservative and he's afraid that some boy might…" She stopped talking and felt her cheeks turn red. She had never had this sort of conversation with a boy before. So, she tried to search the best word she could to describe what she meant, without sounding weird. "...might, hum…deflower us."

"Deflower?"

"Yes, Jackson. Deflower. You know what I mean!"

He noticed how she was speaking really fast, probably a little embarrassed about the topic. "So, hum…you're not allowed to date because your dad is afraid that…"

"That we lose our innocent ways. That I lose my very innocent ways!" She cut him off. "He's a Christian. A very conservative Christian. So, no dating until I'm old enough to, in his words, make assertive decisions."

"Oh."

"And it got worse since I got the scholarship and my place in college. He doesn't want me to get distracted and boys are distractions, because I need to study and focus in school." She continued. "That's why he warned me about you."

"Because I could a distraction?"

"Because you're a boy and I was going to be living right next to you for the next few months and he was afraid of what people said about you and how you could become a distraction somehow."

"Right." Jackson thought for a second. It made sense. Being the father of four girls was probably not the easiest thing to do. He knew guys and he knew every trick in the book to get away with being the kind of guy girls fall for. He knew that guys like him would do anything to get what they wanted. But after what she told him last night, something didn't sound right. "What about the guy you went out on a date with?"

"Robbie Spratt?"

"Yeah. You said you went out on a date with him."

"Well, that's how it started." She confessed, looking at Jackson this time. "He tried to kiss me and I didn't want to kiss him. I was fifteen. My dad found out and from that day on, I was not allowed to date… nor my sisters, for that matter."

"So, Robbie Spratt ruined my chances?" He asked, using a lighter tone.

April smiled understanding his sarcastic tone. "I guess so."

"Well…" Jackson started moving from his chair to sit on hers. "I really don't like Robbie Spratt. He's such a douche."

"Oh, you have no idea." April retorted, making space for him on the chair.

"So, there's really no way? No chance?"

"I never said that." She replied, staring at his deep green eyes. "We'll see."

He gazed at her in amusement, knowing he was completely smitten by her and there was no way he could hide it. "So, we're friends…for now."

"For now!"

"Okay, we can be friends." He said, knowing he was lying and she knew it too. "Do you want to play a game?"

"What game?"

"20 questions. You ask me 20 questions and I ask you 20 questions." Jackson said, getting up from her chair and taking a few steps towards the pool. "That's something friends do. They get to know each other."

"Okay." April smiled and got up as well. "But 20 is a lot. Let's start with 10."

"10 seems great." He replied. April sat by the edge of the pool, letting her feet touch the water and he did the same as her. "So, hum…do you want to start or…?"

"But what kind of questions am I supposed to ask?"

"I don't know. Anything."

"Okay, well…you start."

"Okay." Jackson said, thinking for a second. He had so many questions about her, but he didn't want to throw them all out at the same time. So, he chose to go with an easy one. "What's your favorite book?"

"My favorite book? Pride and prejudice." She quickly replied, then she turned to him. "What's yours?"

"I don't know. I'm not realty a book person, but I like reading biographies."

"Biographies?"

"Yeah. I don't know why. It's just something I'm into." He confessed, noticing the surprised look on her face. "Reading about other people's success makes me think about life's possibilities and…"

"Yours?" April asked, remembering their past conversations about the future and his doubts about his own.

Jackson didn't reply, since he wasn't too sure what to say. Maybe she was right. She seemed to be always right when it came to him. "You told me you like reading medical essays. You told me you want to be a surgeon, right?"

"I do. I really do. It's my life's dream. I want to be a surgeon. I want to save lives. I want to help people. Being a surgeon means all that. I just can't imagine the rush that it must be to have a life in your hands and trying to save that person and giving everything you have to save a person." April replied, looking at the water in front of her, almost getting lost in her own thoughts. But then she looked at him, being suddenly awoken from her daydreams. She noticed how he was lost in his own thoughts as well. "Jackson, what's going through your mind?"

"I've been thinking about it, you know. Ever since we talked about it the other day, I've been thinking about it." He said, not looking at her. Almost reaching for his own hiding dreams and aspirations, the ones he kept in the back of his mind for too long; the ones he didn't dare to think about because they weren't even worth it of thinking about; the one he had given up some time ago.

"And?"

"And the truth is, of course I thought about becoming a surgeon. Of course I'd like to do all that that you just said, but I'm not the kind of Avery people look up to. I'm not that person and I already told you why."

"And I already told you that you shouldn't think about other people and what they think of you. They can screw themselves."

"I know."

"Plus, it's in your genes, Jackson. I'm sure you'd be an amazing surgeon."

Jackson thought about it for a second. It was crazy to think that she was the first person to have this kind of conversation with him, to give him an incentive to follow his aspirations and to listen without making any judgmental remarks. "You think?"

"I think you'll never know if you never try." She replied, with a comforting smile.

Jackson looked at her and nodded. She was right and maybe it was time to really start considering things and all life's opportunities. "Okay, your turn." He said, trying to lighten up the mood and change the subject.

"Okay." April said, knowing exactly what he was doing. She didn't mind, though. She quickly tried to think of another question, a fun one this time. "What's your favorite Super Hero?"

"Hum, Spiderman."

"Spiderman? Really?"

"What?" He asked, noticing her surprised tone.

"I just never thought you were the kind of guy to like Spiderman. I don't know why, but I saw you more of a Thor kind of guy."

"Really? Thor? A blonde dude with a hammer? Really?" Jackson replied, making a sort of disgusted face. "Hell no!"

"Okay, fine. You're not into Thor." She said, laughing at his expression and raising her arms in surrender. "I'm sorry. You're a Spiderman kind of guy!"

"I am. He's cool. He gets to wear a cool mask and webs come out of his hands and he can walk on walls and stuff. The dude is awesome."

"Oh my Gosh!" She laughed, watching as he described with such enthusiasm his favorite Super Hero. "You're totally fangirling over Spiderman right now."

"Am not!"

"You are!"

"Oh, shut up!"

"No, it's totally fine by me!" April continued, still laughing. "I mean, we all have our Super Heroes. Yours just happens to be… a spider."

"Spiderman is not a spider. You know what? Do you wanna go inside and watch the movies. I have all three of them. We can watch the movies and…"

"What movies?"

"The Spiderman movies, of course." He replied. "Not the new ones. I don't like them, but the ones with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. I like the old ones better. They came out when I was a kid and…"

"You sure love Spiderman." April teased him once again, but then she noticed the hard stare he was giving her and even though she knew he was only trying to mess with her, she decided to go with it. "Fine. Spiderman it is. I'll watch the movies with you…the original ones!"

"Great, then…" Jackson was just about to say that they could go inside and since her father wasn't there they didn't have to bother with her sneaking in. They could have lunch together and then spend the afternoon watching his old copies of the films. However, as soon as opened his mouth, a voice that sounded very familiar interrupted their moment, calling his name.

"Jackson?"

He turned his body around, knowing exactly who was calling him, not sure yet of what that person was doing there. "Finn?"

"Hey, man!" Finn said, approaching them, realizing that his friend was not sitting with his feet in the pool alone. "Long time, no see."

"Yeah, well…" Jackson said, not understanding what Finn was doing in his house or what he wanted. Then, he got up and gave April a hand to help her stand up as well.

"I mean, you haven't called in a while, you don't answer your phone or reply to my texts. I was getting worried about." Finn continued, keeping his eyes on the girl that was hiding behind Jackson.

"Yeah, I've been busy." Jackson replied, when the truth was he simply didn't feel like being with Finn or the girls. So, he'd been avoiding them for the past two days.

"Busy, huh?"

Jackson noticed how Finn's eyes fell back again to April and how he hinted that she was the reason why he was so busy. He knew Finn very well and he knew that the curiosity to know who April was, was killing him. "Right, hum…Finn, this is April." He said, gesturing his hand and moving to let April stand next to him. "April, this is Finn."

"Nice to meet you, April." Finn said, lifting his hand to wave at her, with a smile.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too." April nodded her head and moved towards the chair where she had left her dress and towel. She was feeling very exposed and the fact that she was only wearing her bikini was not helping at all.

"April and I were just hanging out by the pool." Jackson said, thinking how ridiculous that sounded. But he didn't know what else to say and he just wished Finn would go away. Then he noticed how April quickly threw her dress over her head and was starting to fix it, probably thinking about leaving. So, he moved towards her, smiling at Finn at the same time.

When April saw Jackson closing the space between them, she looked at him after grabbing her towel. "I think I'm gonna go now." She said, in a low tone.

"You don't have to go." Jackson said, almost whispering so that Finn couldn't hear them. "It's okay. Stay and…"

"No, your friend is probably gonna want to stay too and I'm gonna go. But I'll see you later, okay?"

"Are you sure? Because if you're not comfortable with him being here I can…"

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about me."

"Okay. But I'll see you later?"

"Yes. At night."

"10.30?"

"10.30." Then April took a few steps to walk away, not before turning to Finn and smiling. She didn't know what to say to him.

Jackson watched her walk away, sad to watch her leave. They were having such a great time and Finn had to ruin it. He was actually going to spend the day with her, doing something with her and his friend appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything.

"So, who is she again?" Finn asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Is she a new neighbor or something? I haven't seen her before around here."

"A neighbor? Sure." He could put it that way and he wasn't even lying. She was living in the house right next to his. So somehow she was his neighbor. Jackson remembered that Finn had never seen April before. Only Shelly knew who she was.

"Have you been screwing with her?"

"What? No." Jackson quickly replied. "No, she's my friend."

"She's hot." Finn continued. "I mean, that fiery red hair…you know what they say about red-heads!"

When Finn said that, Jackson felt consumed by a hint of jealously. He didn't like the fact that Finn had been staring at April's body and noticing it. He was not allowed to say that, he was not allowed to stare at her body at all. "Can you please stop?" Jackson said. "She's my friend. Stop it. What are you doing here anyways?"

"I came to check up on you. Haven't heard from you in a couple days. That's not normal."

"Mindy let you in?"

"She did. She said you'd be in the garden and that I should find you here. Guess she was right. I wish I was wearing swimming trunks. I mean, that way me and your friend could have some fun in the pool as well."

"You have to stop." Jackson said, in a threatening tone. "Don't talk about her like that."

"Relax, man." Finn stated, crossing his arms against his chest. "I'm not saying anything."

"You are. Stop it!"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me. I just don't like the way you're talking about her. So stop it." Jackson said, passing by Finn to walk away to the house.

"Fine." Finn said, noticing his friend's different behavior. He never saw Jackson get so angry about a girl. This was something new, but it was better if he didn't say anything else about it.

…

_Later at night_

"You know what I was just thinking about?" Jackson said, entering the living room with a bowl of freshly made popcorn in his hands. They were in Jackson's house, watching the first Spiderman movie and Jackson had just went to the kitchen to get more popcorn.

"Hum, what?" April asked not taking her eyes from the TV screen.

"That you could easily be Mary Jane." He replied, sitting next to her in the couch with the bowl in his lap.

April turned to him with her eyebrows raised. "What? Mary Jane Watson. Spiderman's love interest. Her?" She asked, pointing to the screen.

"You both have red hair, pale skin, greenish eyes. You could totally be MJ." Jackson continued. Then, with a smirk on his face he turned to her and said. "And I could be your Spiderman!"

"Oh, shut up!" She said, punching him softly in the shoulder. "You could never be my Spiderman."

"Really?" He asked, putting the popcorn bowl in the coffee table in front of them. Then, he sat even closer to her. "How come?"

"Because I know better." April replied, looking back at him and adjusting her body in the couch, putting a leg behind her body and half turning her torso towards him. "I mean, look at her…" She said, turning her attention back to the screen. "What kind of girl walks alone at night in New York city? I mean, it's obvious she's gonna get caught in situations like that."

Jackson looked at the screen for a second to watch the scene where Mary Jane was cornered by three guys trying to hurt her. "But if she never found herself in that situation, Spiderman would've never needed to come and rescue her."

"I don't need to be rescued."

"I think we all need to be rescued sometimes." Jackson said, placing one hand on her knee.

April felt his hand on her knee, but didn't say anything. Instead they both stayed in silence, looking at each other, with a small smile on their lips, just listening to the characters lines as the movie played in the background.

"_- You have a knack for getting in trouble._

_-You have a knack for saving my life. I think I have a Super Hero stalker."_

The room was dark and the only light that brightened their faces was coming out from the TV screen. Jackson moved his other hand to her face, touching it softly with his thumb. In that moment, April turned her face away and looked at the movie after taking a deep breath, almost as if she was suddenly awaken from a dream. His eyes were staring deep into hers and his touch was messing up with her mind.

When she looked at the screen, Mary Jane was saying something about being Spiderman being amazing, while he was hanging upside down. April tried to pay attention to the movie but the fact was that his hand on her knee and his touch were getting in the way.

Jackson's hand moved to her hair, as he played with it, moving it to the back of her shoulder. He wasn't even paying attention to the movie anymore and he didn't care. He had waited all night to have this kind of moment with her.

"_-Do I get to say thank you this time?"_

April watched as the scene played. Mary Jane started to take off Spiderman's mask, rolling it just above his mouth and then her lips touched his.

She turned to Jackson in that moment. He kept staring at her like she was his own muse and without giving it another thought, she leaned in just close enough to feel his breath against her lips. He moved his hand from her hair and placed it on her face again, closing his eyes, aware of what was happening. Then, she raised her right hand to his neck, up to his jawline and closed her eyes as well. The next second, her lips were pressed against his and they kissed.

They lingered there for a while, with their lips pressed against each other. Then, Jackson opened his mouth and let his tongue pass her lips, letting his tongue feel hers for the first time. He was discovering her mouth and there they were, twisting together, tasting each other with all the passion they had. Jackson let his hand go up her leg and she let out a small moan. He liked it when she moaned like that.

April pulled off her tongue from his mouth and nibbled his lips, sucking them after. She could feel the heat of the moment and that the temperature was raising. She felt the need to be closer to him. So, she moved her body and, almost sitting on his lap, she cupped his face with her hands, while the hand he had placed on her face fell to her waist. Then, she opened her mouth again, letting his tongue enter it again, allowing herself to feel his tongue deepening the kiss and all the pleasure that came with it.

They only separated when they needed air and could no longer hold it any longer. "Wow." Jackson said, trying to catch his breath. "Now this is a kiss Spiderman would kill for."

April smiled at his statement, thinking the exact same thing. Then, she took her hands off his face and moved her body a little, because she felt like she was almost sitting on top of him. This was wrong. She wasn't supposed to be kissing him like this. They were friends for now. They shouldn't be kissing.

Then, she took his hands and held them together. "Jackson…" She sighed. April was about to tell him that friends don't kiss. But something stopped her, so she simply said.

"What?"

April didn't reply. Instead, she leaned forward again and placed a sweet peck on his lips. "I have to go."

"What? Why?" Jackson asked, while she was starting to get up from the couch.

"I have to. I…I have to."

"No! Just…wait…" He said, following her to the living room door, since she was quickly moving to leave. "April…"

She turned around, stopping. "Friends don't kiss, Jackson."

"But…"

"But friends don't kiss and I…I don't know what to do."

"Then don't do anything. Just let things flow and we can figure things out later."

"Jackson…" April started, stepping closer to him and taking his. "I need to think, okay? I need to think."

He stood there quiet for a couple of seconds. Then, he let out a deep breath and realized that there was no point in forcing her to stay. "Fine." He said, turning his back on her. However, she stopped him by pulling him by the hand she was holding. Jackson turned around to face her again and she placed another kiss on his lips. It was a simple, goodnight kiss, but he didn't say anything. After that she let go of his hand and walked towards the kitchen back door to leave.

When she reached the front door of her house, she opened it and stepped inside. Closing the door behind her, she couldn't help but to lean against it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. What was she doing? What was she getting herself into? And what she supposed to do about him?

"April?"

As all these thoughts crossed her mind, her father's voice made her quickly open her eyes. She instantly froze, knowing she had just been caught.

…

**AN:**

Hey guys,

New chapter is here! I'm sorry for taking so long to update!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know and please leave a review. Reviews mean the world to me! They make me smile and inspire me to do better!

Please, take into consideration that English is not my first language. I'm sorry for any mistakes or typos you find.

Again, let me know your thoughts on the chapter and leave a review.

Love, Annie


	11. phonography

**Sexy Japril ahead! **

**Rated M**

…

When she reached the front door of her house, she opened it and stepped inside. Closing the door behind her, she couldn't help but to lean against it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"April?"

Her father's voice made her quickly open her eyes. She instantly froze, knowing she had just been caught.

"Daddy? What are you doing up? I thought…I thought you were asleep." She panicked, feeling her heart jump inside her chest and her legs shake.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Joe stated, staring at her from the kitchen door. "What are you doing up? And what were you doing outside?"

"Hum…I…" She didn't know what to say. She just simply could not tell him the truth and yet her brain seemed to be playing a trick on her because she couldn't think of anything else to say. All she knew was that she needed to come up with an excuse. "I.. I was outside, because…" She rambled, trying to gain some time. And then a random thought popped up into her mind. "My phone. I couldn't find my phone and I thought I left it in the truck, because I took it yesterday to go to the lighthouse… Remember how I told you I went to the lighthouse?"

"Yes."

"Well, I couldn't find it in my room… the phone, I couldn't find it. So, I went outside to look for it."

"Really?" Joe said, crossing his arms against his chest, looking at her with suspicious eyes. "Where are the keys?"

"The keys?"

"To the car? You don't have them with you."

April felt her heart beat faster, thinking he had her all figured out. What the hell was she supposed to say after this? How was she supposed to get out of it? "I don't." She started, looking at her hands. "That's why I came back. I forgot them and I came back to get them."

"Oh, they're right there." Her father said, pointing to the small table next to the front door.

"Right!" April replied, moving her eyes to the small table next to her. She tried to reach her hand to grab the keys, but her hand was shaking so much, she gave up of the idea. "They're here. Well, but don't worry. I can see if my phone is there in the morning. It's getting late and it's dark outside."

"Are you sure?" He asked her. "You're not going to need it?"

"My phone…Yes. Yes. I mean, no. I won't need it. Don't worry daddy." She said, slowly moving her feet to walk towards her bedroom, hoping her knees didn't give up on her and let her fall down. "I'm gonna go to bed now, okay?"

"Wait! Not so fast." Her father's voice made her stop and look back at him. "You look… nervous. Is everything alright?"

"What? No!" She replied, noticing the nervous tone of her voice. April tried to clear her throat before continuing, but it was getting hard to hide the panic in her voice. "I'm just really tired and then I closed the door and you scared because I thought you were in bed. You should go to bed, daddy. It's getting late and…"

"I know, I know." Joe interrupted her, moving from where he was standing after turning off the kitchen light. "I just forgot to take my medication and I remembered now."

"Dad, you can't forget to take your medication. It's important that you remember to take them. You don't want to end up in the hospital again, do you?"

"No, don't worry. This was the first time."

"But you have heart problems. You had a heart attack a few months ago. You have to take care of yourself." She said, as her father walked towards her and she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry, honey." Joe retorted, trying to let his daughter know he was alright. "One day you're gonna be my doctor. And when that day comes, I'm going to be the proudest man alive."

"Not if you keep forgetting to take your medication on time!"

"But for now you're not." Joe cut her off. "Don't forget that tomorrow I have an appointment with Doctor Perry."

"No, I know." April replied, remembering how she told her father she was going with him to a new doctor tomorrow to see if his heart condition was worse. Her father had been having some pain chest the past two days and she was getting worried about it. "At 4 pm I'll be ready and we can go."

Joe kissed April's cheek and smiled. "Good-night, sweetheart."

"Good-night, daddy!"

Then, April started walking as her father closed the front door with the key, almost making sure she entered her bedroom.

Once April found herself alone, in her room, she closed the door behind her and sat on her bed. He knees were still shaking and her heart was still beating fast. She was safe for now. He didn't figured it out and, somehow, she was able to get out of the situation.

…

_The next day_

April looked at her phone to check the time. It was a little past 2.30 pm and she still hadn't seen Jackson. She put her phone down on the nightstand next to her bed and stood up, walking towards the door. She had spent the whole night thinking about what happened the night before. How they kissed again and how her father almost caught her sneaking in. She had to make a decision about it. The confliction inside of her was driving her insane. They shouldn't be together and she knew her father was right about the reason why. However, he was all over her mind and she simply could not stop thinking about him.

Since she spent some time outside and could not find him, she decided to look for him in the most obvious place: his house.

She stepped outside and felt the heat of the sun in her skin. The day was abnormally hotter than what was expected. The heat made it almost impossible to be outside and she walked as fast as she could to the front door of his house.

When she got there, she rang the bell and waited impatiently for someone to open it, since she could barely breathe with the heat. She waited a couple minutes until Mindy opened the door and with a surprised look on her face, she simple said "Yes?"

"Hi, hum... Is Jackson home?" April shyly asked.

Mindy looked at her more curious than before and nodded. "He is."

"Can I talk to him?" She asked again, feeling the housekeeper's eyes almost scan her soul. The way Mindy was looking at her could be intimidating. However, somehow she knew Mindy didn't mean any harm.

"Hum, sure. I can call him." Mindy replied, opening the door and gesturing. "Do you want to come in?"

April nodded and stepped in. "Okay. Thanks."

"Wait here. I'll be right back." Mindy informed her. April watched as she started making her way up the stairs. Maybe Jackson was in his room, probably hiding from the heat. Maybe that's why she didn't see him all day.

She waited for a few more minutes until she saw Jackson coming down the stairs, with Mindy behind him. He was wearing a grey t-shirt, a pair of black shorts, but he was walking barefoot.

"April? Hi!" He said, with a smile on his face, pleased to see her there.

"Hi, Jackson." She replied, not sporting the same smile as him. "How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"I'm okay."

"Is something wrong?" He noticed something was not alright with her by the serious look on her face.

"No, hum…I just want to talk to you." April said, ready to have a serious conversation with him. But then, she moved her eyes to Mindy, who was still standing behind Jackson. "Hum… in private."

Jackson noticed that Mindy was still around and nodded. He wanted to be alone with her and the only place he would be able to do it was in the privacy of his room. So, he reached for her hand and leaded the way, hoping she didn't take it the wrong way or doubt his intentions, like she did before. "Okay. Come with me." He turned to Mindy on his way upstairs and gave her a look of disapproval. She knew April was starting to be a frequent presence around the house. Why couldn't she just leave them alone?

They headed upstairs in silence, while Jackson took her to his bedroom. They only stopped when they reached the door of Jackson's bedroom.

Jackson let go of her hand and told her to go in. "What's up?"

When she walked in and Jackson closed the door behind him, she immediately said. "I almost got caught last night."

"What?" Jackson asked. The words that came out of her mouth didn't make sense to him.

"My dad almost caught me last night when I left. I had to lie to him." She continued, almost not taking the time to breathe. "I walked in and he was up and standing in the kitchen and I had to come up with the most stupid excuse ever and it was so nerve wrecking… I…"

"April? Are you okay?" He asked, understanding now what she meant. "Did something happen?"

"No, no. I was able to come up with an excuse and he let me go, but I think he knows something's up." April replied, feeling her heart beat fast again as memories from last night came to her mind. "I had to lie to my dad and I'm not the kind of person who lies to her dad. And I know that he didn't allow me to see you for all the right reasons. I mean, he's right. He doesn't want me to get distracted with boys, because I'm going to college and I need to focus in school and in achieving my dreams. I can't get distracted, I can't have any distractions and you're a distraction. I mean…you're all I can think about right now."

She suddenly stopped talking, realizing what she had just said. She didn't mean to say it, confess her feelings towards him like this. She barely said the words, but he wasn't dumb. He could easily figure it out.

"April, I…"

"I can't be near you." April quickly cut him off, not letting him continue what he was about to say. She could feel his eyes on her, staring at her, trying to read her. "I can't be near you, because when I'm near you all I want to do is…"

"Kiss me?" He interrupted her, taking two steps closer to her. "Because that's all I think about too. Kissing you. It's all I think about. All the time."

"I know." She said. As he stepped closer to her, she moved on her feet and walked past him, leaning against the bedroom door. He turned around too to face her.

"So you don't want to be near me?" Jackson asked, noticing how she was trying to get away from him. "Are you saying that maybe we should stay away from each other?" He asked her again, glad she was leaning against the door, because this way he could put stand in front of her, without letting her get away from him.

April closed her eyes at his presence. He was standing only a few inches away from her. She could kept track of her own thoughts. Then, she took a deep breath as he took another step closer, placing his hands on the door, on each side of her body, trapping her, cornering her. "Hum… no."

"No?"

"I can't be near you, but I can't be away from you either." She confessed, slowly opening her eyes.

He licked his lips and leaned forwards, letting his lips stand right in front of hers. "So?" Jackson asked again, looking at her with a spark in his eyes, wanting her to say more, to decide for herself what step should they take next.

"So?" She tried to form words, but her brain didn't allow her to make a coherent speech in her mind. All she could think about were his lips and how much she wanted to kiss them again. April felt butterflies in her stomach, contemplating what to say next or what to do next. She knew this wasn't the best idea, but she had made up her mind a few hours ago. She was willing to give him a chance… to give them a chance. Despite all of her father's concerns, she knew that she was a smart girl. She was not going to let herself be distracted by a boy when the time came for her to need to be focused. Plus, she was young and this was the summer and he was making her heart melt by the second. "So…" April wanted to say something, but the way he was looking at her and the lust in his eyes were barely keeping her standing. "Gosh!" She let out a deep breath before attacking his mouth and placing her arms around his neck.

Jackson kissed her back and placed his hands on her waist, closing the space between them. The kiss was needy and desperate. They wanted each other so bad that Jackson pushed her against the door, letting his hands travel under the top she was wearing and feel the soft skin of her body underneath.

April moaned softly when she felt his warm hands on her body, desperate for more. Their lips moved together and their tongues intertwined perfectly. They barely took the time to breathe as the anxiety to feel closer went to the roof. However, when his hands started going up her shirt, she made him stop. "Hum, Jackson."

He stopped kissing her and quickly removed his hands from under her shirt. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She replied, moving her hands to his face. "Really, it's okay."

"It's just…when I kiss you, I lose myself." He whispered, tilting him back to her again, letting it rest on her forehead. "It's hard to control myself when I want to kiss you so badly."

"I know." April said, smiling, feeling butterflies on her stomach again by the way he spoke. "Believe me. I know." Her eyes moved from his face to her surroundings. She was realizing now where they were: in his bedroom. It was the first time she step foot inside of his bedroom.

"So, yes… this is my room." He said, noticing what she was trying to do. Then, he took a few steps back and let her go.

She looked around and noticed how big his bedroom was and how clean it looked. "It's a nice room." April retorted, moving as well. "It's big."

"Yeah." Jackson simply said, sitting on the edge of his bed, watching as she walked to the window to take a look outside.

"It's great." She said, continuing to move. Then she stopped and took a peek at his walk in closet, since the door was open. "Is this your closet?"

"Hum, yeah!" Jackson replied, not surprised at how confident she looked walking through his bedroom.

"Wow… look at your shoes." April noticing the many pairs perfectly aligned on the closet floor.

"Yeah, sneakers are kind of my thing right now."

April smiled and moved on, running her fingers through the wall as she made her way back to where he was. "And this is your bed?" She asked, with a not so innocent smile on her face.

"It is." He said as she sat down next to him. "It's a very comfortable bed."

"Is it?"

"Huh huh!" He replied, moving his hand to her hair, moving a lock of it to the back of her ear. Then, he moved his face and caught her lips once more. However, this time the kiss started out slowly. It was rushed, but the desire was still all there.

Their lips touched softly until Jackson let April lead her tongue back to his mouth, savoring all of her sweet taste. He placed one hand back on her waist and she didn't say anything when he made her fall on her back on the bed.

They moved so that their bodies were fully on the bed and Jackson was half on top of her, but April didn't complain. She was actually enjoying this new found proximity. Then, Jackson moved one leg, letting it rest in between hers.

April moved one hand from his chest, down to the hem of his t-shirt. In the next minute, her hand under the shirt, pushing him closer to her.

They kissed with desire and lust. April had never felt the weight of a guy's body on top of her or the way his hand squeezed her flesh. She had never felt a man's member on her leg and she had never felt like this before. It was a rush of adrenaline that was running through her entire body and somehow she wanted more. She wanted more and she was about to lose her mind over him.

Then Jackson, sensing he was not going to be able to stop if he didn't stop now, broke the kiss, trying to take a moment to breathe. She let out a deep sigh when she didn't feel his lips against hers, almost in protest. "April?" She heard him say. "What does this mean?"

She opened her eyes, took her hand from under his shirt and looked at him. "I think this means that I'm gonna have to keep lying to my dad."

He looked down at her, feeling his arms tremble by the weight he was putting in them to stand half on top of April without crushing her. She was smiling, seductively biting her lower lip, giving him a look he had never seen before. So, he leaned down again and kissed her once more. "You don't have to lie. You can just omit some things." He said, when they broke the kiss.

"Well, seeing things from that perspective, I think you're right."

Jackson smiled and let his back fall on the mattress. "Are you sure? We can do this?" He asked, still concerned with her she told him about her father. April moved and turned to look at him. He did the same and now they were facing each other.

"I am." She replied. "we just have to be discrete about this… for now."

"Okay."

"And hum… tonight I shouldn't come see you. I think my dad is a bit suspicious and I don't want to risk it anymore."

"Sure." Jackson said, moving one hand and resting it on the curve of her waist. "I don't know how I'm going to spend my entire evening without you though."

"We'll find a way."

"As long as you don't get into trouble. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"You won't." She said in a low tone, moving on the bed and placing one hand on his cheek. She caressed it with her thumb and smiled, thinking he was trouble already. Then, she planted a kiss on his lips again.

…

Jackson paced back and forth in his bedroom uncontrollably. It was past 11 pm and he was waiting for April to call. They decided that since they wouldn't be able to see each other that night, she would call him whenever she get the chance. They didn't spend much time together that afternoon either, because her father had to go to the city for an appointment. It was hard not to see her the rest of the day and the truth was he missed her.

He was about to sit on his bed when his phone suddenly rang. Jackson quickly stood up and grabbed it. He didn't know why he was feeling so nervous, but he was. He had never been nervous about talking to a girl before. "Hum, hello?" He said, answering the phone after clearing his throat.

"Jackson? Hi, it's me… April."

He knew it was her. From the moment he heard his phone ring, he knew it was her. "Hi, April. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm great. You?"

"I'm great too." He replied, noticing how she was speaking in a low tone, probably trying to be as quiet as she could so that her father wouldn't hear her. "How was your day?"

"It was okay. Not as fun as yours I bet."

"Well, mine was only okay too. I honestly just played videogames most of the afternoon really…" He said, thinking how he would rather have spent the afternoon with her. "So, how's your dad?"

"Hum, the doctor said he needs to go back and do an exam. I don't know… he didn't want me to go with him inside the office so I didn't hear the conversation, but…I'm worried about him."

"Hey, I was thinking about it and I thought that maybe I could talk to my grandpa and maybe you could take your dad to…"

"No!" She cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest, knowing exactly what he was about to offer. "You're very kind, but that's okay. Really."

"Okay." He said, moving from his bed to the window, to open it slightly. "But if you ever need it, the offer is always going to be there."

"Thanks." She didn't want him to feel like she was going to take advantage of him for who he was. Even if that meant not having the privileges the Averys had. "So, hum… what are you doing?"

She was changing the subject and he noticed that, but chose not to say anything. "I'm looking out the window."

"Do you see anything cool out there?"

"Hum, no… actually I don't. It's way too dark out there for me to see anything" He replied, feeling a soft cold breeze enter his very warm room. "I was opening the window. It's so hot tonight."

"I know. I feel like I'm suffocating. I mean, I even took a shower before calling you because I was so sweaty."

"You did, huh!" Jackson said, lying back on his bed. "Right before you called me?"

"Yes." She innocently continued. "We took forever in the city and when I got home, I had to cook dinner and do the laundry. So I only found the time to take a shower now. I mean, I'm talking to you and I'm trying to dry my hair with a towel because it's still soaking wet."

"Really?" Jackson said, closing his eyes for a moment and trying to picture her wrapped around a towel, with her hair dripping water to her back. "Tell me more."

"Jackson? What are you doing?" She asked, feeling the different tone on his voice.

"I'm not doing anything. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, but you are." April replied, smiling to herself. "And you know you are."

"You were the one saying you just came out of the shower. I'm not doing anything." Jackson said, placing one arm behind his head for support. "Plus, it's really hot tonight. Maybe I should go and take a shower too."

"Maybe you should. It's really… really hot tonight." She said, speaking really slowly, almost whispering. "How are you dealing with the heat?"

"I'm just wearing a pair of boxers. It's so hot I can't even put on a shirt."

April put down the towel she was using to dry her hair and leaned back against her bed headboard. "Well, that's a way of fighting the heat." She said, thinking about him shirtless. His perfect sweaty body was an image she didn't mind thinking about.

"Yes. Yes, it is." Jackson said, keeping his tightly closed to have a better picture of her in his head. "And you just came out of the shower."

"I did. I should probably go get dress though. I'm still in my towel and I should go put on my pajamas."

"Hum." He let out a small moan picturing her body wrapped up in a simple towel. "Don't. It's too hot for pajamas anyways."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Jackson replied. "You know, I missed you today."

April smiled and moved her position on the bed, so now she was half lying down. "I missed you too."

"I missed kissing you... kissing your lips." Jackson continued, almost feeling her lips on his. "And I missed touching your skin."

"You did?" She asked, almost in an innocent tone, like it was the first time someone said those things to her and she was doubting it.

"I did. I missed touching your hair and the way it falls to your face…. And I missed how every time it does, I have to put it back behind your ear."

April closed her eyes and took a deep breath, almost feeling his touch as he spoke. "What else did you miss?"

"I missed the way you smell. The way the smell of your perfume drives me crazy." He went on, letting himself get lost in his own thoughts. "I wish I could kiss your neck right now so I could smell your perfume again."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Jackson replied, noticing how her 'yeah' came out in the form of a small sigh. "Remember yesterday… in the pool?" He heard her say a quick 'yes'. "Remember when you had your legs wrapped around me? I wish I could feel your legs around me right now too."

April found herself bending her legs with her feet still pressed against the bed mattress, as images from that moment flushed through her mind. "I wish I could feel your body around my legs too."

Jackson observed how she was letting herself go and was intertwining in the conversation, but decided to keep talking to her. He didn't know where this was going, but he was enjoying it so far. "And hum… I wish I could grabs your legs with my hands the way I did and feel your skin… your soft skin again."

"And I wish I could place my hands on your chest." April said, losing control over her own thoughts and words.

"I wish you could too." Jackson smiled, glad she was getting carried away with the conversation. He let the arm he had behind his head come down, and place his hand on top of his chest. "If you were here with me right now, I'd be kissing you… your lips, your neck… all the way down to you perfect perky…"

"I wish you were here with me right now." April cut him off, knowing exactly what he was about to say next.

"If I was there with you, I'd be kissing your breasts right now. One at a time." She let her hand unconsciously fall to her neck, making its way down her chest. "Slowly… taking my time to discover them for the first time… like they deserve to be discovered."

April was heavy breathing now, slowly letting loose the towel she had wrapped up around her body and letting her hand caress her right breast as his voice continued to describe what he would to her if she was with him at the moment. "I think I'd like that."

"Yeah… I'd be using my tongue to lick them… My teeth to bite them."

"Yeah?"

Her husky voice almost made him lose it, but he felt like he had a job in hands and didn't plan on stopping. "Oh yeah!" Jackson felt his own body give in and his own hand move from his chest down his torso. "If I was there with you, I'd be kissing your whole beautiful body… everywhere."

He was whispering and April felt like the more he whispered, the better the effect he was having in her was. "Jackson…"

"Yes?"

"Don't stop."

She was almost begging him not to stop. Jackson smiled and licked his lips. Then, he continued. "I wish I could be with you so I could straddle you against the bed. So I could feel your body against mine… So I could place my hands on each sides of your hips… And let you see how I'm burning right now. I'm burning for you, April."

"You are?"

"Yes." He said in between a deep breath. "I'm burning for you… I'm thinking about how I'd be kissing your perfect flat stomach right now and it's driving me insane. Thinking about your perfect naked body is driving me insane right now."

April could feel her heart beating fast, her mind traveling to a different place far away from where she was. She was getting out of her head, losing her mind. It felt so strange and so good at the same time. "You'd be kissing my body." She said to herself. Then, her hand left her right breast and traveled lightly down her stomach.

"I would be kissing you, pleasing you. And your hand would be rubbing my back… Your nails craved on my skin." He went on, moving his own hand down his torso to the inside of his grey boxers, where a bulge was already visible. "Then, my lips would kiss your mouth again and my hand… my free hand would be taking you to the moon."

She knew what he meant and it didn't take long for her hand to be making its way down her already wet center.

"Are you there with me?" He asked, but she couldn't find the strength to reply. Instead she moaned his name. Jackson smiled to himself and started rolling down his boxers, quickly taking them off completely. "Tell me if you're wet, April. Tell me."

"I am." She confessed, rubbing her center slowly, focusing on his voice.

Jackson titled his head back after hearing her reply. She was officially driving him insane. He massaged his member picturing her touching herself. "I'm getting so hard thinking about you touching yourself."

"You are, huh?" April asked, letting her body relax with her own touch, pretending it was his. "Do you wanna touch me?"

'Fuck!' Jackson thought as his hand started stroking his already hard member more enthusiastically. "I do. I wanna touch you. I wanna touch you right where you want me to. I do."

"Touch me, Jackson." She demanded, as her hand caressed her wet center vigorously. "Show me how you touch me."

"My fingers…" He said, taking a moment to swallow and try to focus on her "…my fingers are circling, moving… pleasuring you. I'm kissing you, our tongues are moving together. Until we need air to breath. I never stop touching you. You feel so good. So wet… so good!"

"Keep going." April said, starting to feel a light sensation and reaching for the pillow behind her head with her free hand. "Don't stop."

"My fingers are touching you."

April couldn't stop moaning at this point. She spread her leg even more to let her hand keep moving harder. "Jackson… I… I…"

"I keep touching you, but my lips move to your neck. I lick it… your neck, I lick it." He said, stroking himself as well, hearing April heavy breathing on the other side of the line and calling his name was driving him over the edge. "And your hips move with my touch. They move up and down as I touch you."

Her own hips were already moving before he said it. The movement was something she couldn't control. "Don't stop…don't stop, Jackson…don't stop." April cried, when she felt herself reaching her peak. "Jackson!"

"You feel it, April?"

"Yes!" She moaned, almost forgetting she was not supposed to be making any noise. "Yes, Jackson… I feel it… I'm…"

"Let go. It's okay. Let go!" He said, almost instructing her, allowing her to immerse herself in pleasure.

April said his name out loud and grabbed the pillow even harder. She was up in the moon and he was the one who took her there for the first time.

When he sensed she had finished, he took a pause to allow her to come back from cloud nine. Jackson couldn't help but to feel somehow proud of himself for taking her there. After a couple of minutes, he spoke again. "April?"

She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. "Jackson?"

"What?" He asked in a low tone, noticing her husky voice.

"This was amazing." April confessed, covering back her naked body with her towel. "I never experienced this before, but it was amazing." It the first time someone leaded her this way and she was surprised at how easy it was to let him talk to her like he did. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. It was my pleasure." He replied, smiling from ear to ear. He still had his hand holding his erection, but since he took the time to focus on her, he didn't follow her as she reached her orgasm.

"I mean, this was probably the most intense experience of my life."

"You had never done it before?" He wondered.

"Not like this."

He could feel the embarrassed smile on her face as she spoke. "It's okay. I never did it this way either."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not!" Jackson said and it's was the truth. He had never engaged in a phone sex conversation before. This was as new to her as it was to him. "I'm telling you the truth."

"Really?"

"Yep! I swear!"

April took a second to think. She had never felt this kind of pleasure before and it was all triggered by his voice and the image in her head of him touching her and kissing her body. She didn't know how quickly things escalated, but maybe she didn't have to understand. She only had to enjoy. He made her feel comfortable and that was all that mattered. "Jackson?"

"What?"

"Do you wanna do it again?" She asked, consumed by desire.

"Only if you want to."

"Good." April replied, letting loose her towel again. "'But this time I want you to join me."

…

**AN:**

Hey guys, new chapter!

I hope you like it. It's full of sweet moments. So April finally decided to go against her father's will and give Jackson a chance.

Now it's when their story really begins. And we already got a glimpse of what is coming. Please don't tell me it's too soon for them to engage in this kind of activity. They're 18. They're horny teenagers! Whatever! Plus, the lack of Japril on the real show is starting to drive me crazy and I bet it's driving you crazy as well. Anyways, I hope you liked reading a bit of japril sexy times!

Oh and yes, this is the 1st time they both have phone sex. Jackson is not going to be a man whore in this fic. Plus, he's 18. Even on the show he said he lost his virginity at junior prom. So, he's not that experienced. April is a virgin, but not as shy as she used to be on the show. She's sassier here.

Anyways, tell me what you think and leave a review! Please!

I'll update as soon as I can!

Love, Annie.

PS: English is not my 1st language. Sorry for any mistakes or types you might find. Long chapters like this are hard to re-read and find typos so if you find any, let me know.

PS2: Phonography, the title of the chapter, is a Britney Spears' song. It kind of inspired me to write it!


	12. mom, dad and the party

_The next day_

"I'm going out." He said, turning to Mindy and opening the kitchen back door.

"What? Where?" She asked, not moving from the kitchen counter top where she was reading a book.

"To the beach. Gonna run for a bit. I'll be back for lunch."

"Hold on a second." She said, making him said. He had been acting strange. She noticed he started spending more time with the gardener's daughter and she was fine with that. She actually believe April was going to be a good influence on him. She didn't much of that girl, but she seemed simple… simple in a good way. April didn't seem to be like the rest of his friends and that was going to be good for him. Perhaps he was in such a rush to leave to see her again. "You mother called last night. She said you didn't answer, but it was probably it was too late here and she thought you were asleep. So she called me this morning…"

He wasn't asleep. He simply didn't want to talk to her after having the best experience of his life talking to April over the phone. They spent more than two hours just talking. Sometimes exploring their bodies mentally, getting to know each in the most intimate way from a distance. It felt so strange and yet so good to do such a thing. The truth was he had never had phone sex before, but he enjoyed it. He never thought he'd enjoy it so much. They barely knew each other, April and he, but somehow they were so at ease with each other, they didn't find any problems communicating.

"… she told me to tell you that she wants to see you. She told me to tell you that she's coming."

"Wait, what? Mom's coming?"

"That's what she told me."

"Great!" No, it wasn't great at all. Jackson knew his mother was nosy and she liked to get into his business. If she knew he started seeing April, she'd be all over his business and that was the last thing he wanted. "Anyways, do you know when she's coming?"

"She didn't tell." Mindy replied, turning her attention back to the pages of the book she was reading. "She only told me that she's coming."

"Hum… okay." There was nothing he could do. Not even knowing when she was coming didn't give him space to prepare for it. But it had always been like that. It was like she loved to surprise him, almost as if she was trying to catch him doing something wrong. It was like coming unannounced gave her a reason to try and catch him doing wrong. He finally told Mindy he was going out, trying to brush off his mother from his mind.

When he stepped outside he realized that the weather was still very warm, but it was much better than the day before. Quickly taking off his shirt, he knew that if he went running with a shirt on, he'd be burning with the heat. Leaving the shirt on top of a garden table, Jackson started walking towards the wooden path that led to the beach. However, he stopped when he saw her.

He smiled to himself thinking about how cute she looked with her hair pulled back in the top of her head in a simple ponytail; she was wearing a short green dress… so short he could almost see her thighs when she bent down. And that was when he noticed that trying to carry a heavy bag in her arms.

Walking towards her in silence, she didn't hear him coming. When he placed his hands on her waist she almost jumped. "Morning!"

"Gosh! Jackson, you scared me." She said, dropping the bag to the ground and turning around to face him.

"Sorry." He apologized, watching as her cheeks turned bright red. "What's up? What are you doing?"

"I'm helping my dad."

"Do you need help? I can help you."

"No. Just go. I'll talk to you later." She was speaking so fast he could barely understand her. Looking around her, probably trying to see if they were alone, he noticed how desperate she was for him to leave. "You have to go. He might see you with me."

"April, I'm not afraid of your dad, alright?" Jackson replied, placing one hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry."

"Easy for you to say."

"April…"

"I already told you, Jackson. My dad can't find out about us and if he sees us then he might think something's going on."

He somehow found that statement to be ironic. Of course he'd think that, because there was in fact something going on between them. Last night proved just that. "Fine. I'll leave, but first…" Jackson started before grabbing her by the waist and placing a kiss on her lips.

They kissed. It was kick peck on the lips and she didn't even move. He knew she was about to have a panic attack.

"Jackson, we're gonna get caught." She said when they separated, feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline run through her body.

"No one's here but us, April."

"I know, but still…" She said, freeing herself from his hands. "I don't want to get caught and be forced to end _this _without having time to actually start it."

He didn't know what exactly she meant by that, but he wondered what her father would do if he found out they had something. Would he make her go back home? Would be try to end it? "Okay, fine." Jackson said, thinking that it was probably for the best to leave her alone. She kept frantically looking around, trying to see if her dad was coming back. "Wanna hang out later?"

"Sure."

"Maybe after lunch?"

"Yeah, yeah… after lunch's fine."

He noticed how she was barely looking at him. This was definitely not the April he was used to be around. "April…"

"Look, I'll talk to you later and I'll see you later and we'll do everything later. Okay?" She quickly said. "Right now I have to help my dad. But I'll see you later."

He looked at her for a few seconds without saying anything, still trying to figure out why she was so freaked out about his presence. He didn't her father at all, but he seemed to be a nice man. But he understood her fear. If her father saw them together and come to any conclusion they might have to be apart and she would probably be sent home. "So, I'll see at two?"

"At two seems great!"

"Maybe we can get out of here. Go somewhere downtown… I don't know."

"That's a great idea." April looked at him and felt bad. He deserved better and maybe she was being irrational. So, she took a step closer and held his hand. "Look, I'm sorry, Jackson."

"No, no… It's okay."

"But hey… I'll see you later." She replied, looking at his disappointed eyes and knowing that that wasn't okay. "And I got a present for you."

"A present?"

"Yes. Yesterday when I was in the city I got you a present."

"What is it?" He asked, with a slight tone of excitement in his voice.

"You're gonna have to wait and see."

"April…" The voice coming from behind her made her jump and quickly let go of Jackson's hand. "What's happening here?"

Jackson looked at the man standing near them and felt April start to have a small panic attack. So, he cleared his voice and carefully reached for the man's hand, decided to give him a handshake and try his best to get them both out of the situation. "Hi, sir. I'm Jackson Avery."

"I know… I know who you are, Mr Avery." Her father shook his hand, but kept staring at him with a suspicious look on his face. "Joe Kepner."

"Mindy told me about you. You're the gardener, right?" He replied with a simple, dry 'yes'. "Right, I happened to be walking down here and I saw your daughter, so I decided to see if she needed help."

"Right." April said with a shaky tone. "And I was just telling him that I can carry these fertilizer bags all by myself… that I don't need his help."

"I insisted, but she wouldn't let me help her." Jackson said, feeling the man's eyes on his bare chest. He was probably trying to come to some conclusion about their proximity, why they were so close, why he was standing naked in front of his daughter. "Since hum… April? It's April right?"

"Right?" She nodded, understanding what he was doing, pretending they had just met.

"Since April didn't want my help I was just about to head down to the beach."

"It's very nice of you, Mr Avery, but we'll be alright." Her father retorted. "Thank you for your help though."

"You're welcome." Jackson said, taking a step back, knowing he should go, but not wanting to leave April all by herself now. "So, hum… yeah. Nice to meet you, April." April looked at him and gave him a shy small. "Mr Kepner."

The man nodded and Jackson turned his back to walk away.

"What was that all about?" Joe asked April as soon as Jackson was nowhere around them.

"I don't know, daddy." She replied, trying to sound as natural as possible. "I think he was just trying to help. It was the first time I spoke to him, so…"

"Yeah, it was a nice gesture." Joe said, picking a bag from the floor and starting to take a few steps away. "But with boys like him, you never know."

…

_2 pm – front gate_

"So, where do you wanna go?" April asked as she approached him.

He smiled at her and reached for her hand, pulling her closer and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I don't know. Where do you wanna go?"

"I don't know either. I'm not from around here, remember?"

"Right! Well, we could get ice cream." He said, leaning back to kiss her again. "Hum? What do you say about that?"

"I'd like that." She replied, mumbling against his lips. "However, we're gonna have to take my dad's truck again."

"Again? Why?"

"He thinks I'm going sightseeing. I told him I wanted to take a few pictures and stuff."

"Sightseeing? In the Hamptons?"

"He believed me, so…"

He rolled his eyes and looked at her. "But to go out on your truck again?"

"Don't be like that, Jackson." She replied, moving away from him and taking the keys out of her bag. "I'm gonna go get the truck and I'll meet you in a minute."

"I have a perfectly good car, you know?" Jackson shout at her, but she simple turned her face slightly to the side and smiled.

…

"Wanna try mine?" She asked, after taking a small lick at his chocolate ice-cream. "It's amazing. You're gonna like it."

They had chosen their ice-cream flavors and were now walking down hand in hand. It felt good to actually spend some time together. Jackson worried about her for the rest of the morning, afraid that her dad might've given her a bad time, but she reassured him that he didn't. It was going to be hard keeping this in secret when they were all living in the same property. However, he knew that it had to be like that for now at least.

He tried her ice cream, but quickly stopped and made her stop. Then, he placed a kiss on her lips. He missed her lips all morning.

"Silly!" She said, licking her lips when he broke the kiss. Then, she turned her face around and spotted someone she knew. "Oh, look… isn't that your friend?"

He looked at where she was looking and saw Finn walking in their direction.

"Hi, man!" Finn said when he finally approached them. "How are you?"

"I'm good… good." He replied, holding April's hand firmly. "What's up?"

"Not much." Finn replied, noticing April's presence but not looking at her directly. "I brought the girls here because they wanted to buy supplies for the party."

"Oh, okay…"

"Wait. You don't know about the part yet?" Finn asked, remembering how h didn't mention it the last time they were together. "Shelly's throwing a party."

"Of course… she throws a party every summer."

"Oh, hum… you should come, man." Finn continued. "Have some fun…"

Jackson looked at April, who looked back at him. He didn't want to go. He knew how those parties went and he didn't want to be a part of them anymore. "I don't know, Finn. I mean, April and I were…"

"She can come too."

Jackson knew that that wasn't the best idea. Parties like that were not the right place for a girl like April. Parties full of judgmental, rich kids with nothing better to do but to show off. "Maybe… I don't know."

"Look, the party's this Saturday." Finn went on, trying to convince his friend. "Come. It will be fun and you'll get to introduce April to all your friends."

"Finn, I don't know…"

"We'll think about it." April cut him off, much to his surprise. "Jackson will think about it and he'll get back to you."

Finn looked at April and nodded. "Okay. I'll talk to you later, Jackson."

"That's great."

With that, they both said their good-byes and walked their own way. When Finn told Shelly what she happened. He told her how Jackson was holding hands with a girl, how he saw her hanging out before, how she had pale skin and red head, how her name was April. She quickly figured it out. Jackson was seeing the gardener's daughter, the one he saw with a few days ago in the kitchen. The question was why? Why her? What did April have that she didn't? And why did Finn invite her to the party?

…

AN:

I'm so sorry for the long wait and I'm even more sorry about the fact that this is crap! This chapter is short and not well written and I get that.

I'm sorry!

Anyways, at least we know some things: April has a present for Jackson; Mama Avery is coming; April's dad saw them together; his friends know about them and they know who April is and will Jackson and April go to the party?

Don't be too mad at me for this! I promise next one will be better.

Love, Annie

PS: you can always follow my one shots!


	13. the present

"What's wrong?" Jackson asked as they kept walking hand in hand down the sidewalk.

"Nothing."

"You're so quiet." He noted, observing as she ate her ice cream in silence. After their small encounter with Finn, she appeared to shut down, to stop talking to him. He wondered if something happened. "That's not normal."

"Hum… it's nothing."

"April." He insisted, making her stop in the middle of the sidewalk. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…" April started, nodding her head and looking at the ground. Then, letting go of his hand, she took a deep breath and in a low tone, she asked. "Are you embarrassed of me?"

"What?"

"I mean, your friend invited you to a party and you said you didn't want to go…"

"Because I was with you…"

"That's exactly the point." She cut him off, raising her face to look at him. "Then he invited the both of us to the party and you still hesitated."

"I didn't!"

"You did." April retorted, speaking loudly this time. "You hesitated and I had to answer for you."

"I am not embarrassed of you."

"Are you embarrassed of being seen with me?"

"No!" He replied, not completely sure where all of this was coming from. "Of course I'm not embarrassed of being seen with you, April. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Your friend told you I could come to the party, that you could introduce me to your friends and you didn't say anything. You didn't seem too excited about that…"

"I never said that, April. I didn't even mean to make you feel that way."

"Jackson, they're your friends. You should be excited about going to that party and you're not…"

"But that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm embarrassed of being seen with you, which by the way, I'm not…"

"Then…"

"Then nothing!" He said, a slight tone of frustration in his voice. Why would she doubt him? Why would she think he was embarrassed of being seen in public with her? What could possible make her believe in such a thing? "April, I don't mind if people see me with you. I don't care, because I love spending time with you and you should know that by now. My friends… well…" He paused, feeling a little guilty of what he was about to say next, thinking that maybe he was being unfair to his friends, the ones he spent so many summers and so many years with. "The truth is… I'm not embarrassed of being seen with you. The truth is I'm embarrassed of… them."

"W-what?"

"I mean, it's not like I'm embarrassed of them because they're… I don't know… weird or anything, but…" He continued, taking a deep breath and scratching the back of his head. "The things they talk about, sometimes the way they behave… they're so different from you, April."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, thinking that maybe she jumped to conclusions too fast.

"And you said it yourself, remember? When we first met, you thought that rich kids were annoying or something along those lines." Jackson went on, remembering their first very awkward encounter. "I just know that you won't like it so…"

"Yeah… but…"

"But if you want to go to the party, then…"

"No, I mean… I don't know." April replied, nodding her head. Maybe a part of herself wanted to go to the party. Maybe she knew it was a huge mistake going, but she always wondered how rich kids hang out. She had a very strong opinion on rich kids and their ways by the things she heard and saw on TV, but she was still very curious. She couldn't, though. She couldn't go.

"I just want you to know that no! I'm not ashamed of being seeing with you, April." He said, placing one piece of her hair behind her ear. "And I have no problem introducing you to my friends, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry." She replied, shyly smiling.

"Talking about introducing you to people…" Jackson continued with a grin on his face. "There's someone I think you'd be excited to meet."

"Who?"

"Someone who you really like."

"Jackson… who?"

He paused for a second, letting her wonder for a minute. Then, she hit his arms and insisted. "My mom." Jackson finally said.

"What?"

"Mindy said she's coming to town soon and since you fangirl over her work, I thought you'd love to meet her."

"Oh my gosh!" She replied, not even trying to hide her excitement. "You'd introduce me to her?"

"Yeah, I mean. Why not?"

"For real?"

"Yeah!"

"Seriously?"

"Of course, April. That's not a big deal."

"But… Catherine Avery… she is like…"

"She's my mom and she's coming and I don't mind introducing you to her."

"Do you think she'd mind?"

"I don't think so." He replied, loving the giggly tone in her voice. "You told me how much you like her and I honestly think she'd love to meet a… fan."

"A fan? Oh, I'm a big… huge fan of hers."

"So? Would you like to meet her?"

"Of course!" April replied, almost jumping, smiling from ear to ear. "I mean, only if it's okay by you and I don't know if I should because…"

"Jackson?" They both turned around when they heard a voice calling Jackson's name. "How are you?"

He looked at the girl in front of him, then April, then back at her. "Shelly…"

"I just saw you talking to Finn and I decided to come and say hi too." Shelly moved her eyes to April. She knew who she was. She saw her before, in the kitchen, talking to Jackson. "Oh, hi!"

"Hey." April replied, watching as Shelly slowly raised her hand before her.

"I'm Shelly. Shelly Wright. Jackson's friend."

"April Kepner." She said, shaking her hand.

"Haven't we met before?"

"Hum, I…"

"Right! Right… you're the gardener's daughter, aren't you?" Shelly said, smiling. "I remember I saw you with Jackson the other day and well… he told me you're the gardener's daughter."

"Hum, I'm…"

"Shelly, what do you want?" Jackson asked, not letting April continue. He didn't like the way Shelly said 'the gardener's daughter' nor the superiority in her voice. He also didn't want April to think that he said it the way Shelly was trying to imply.

"Oh, Finn told you about the party, right?"

"He did, yes."

"I was just going to invite you myself. You know, since you love my parties so much." Shelly continued, with the same fake smile on her lips. "Remember last summer and how fun it was when you were so drunk and you pushed Cody Miller into the pool. I mean, it was hilarious."

"I don't…" He didn't want to remember it, honestly… especially when he felt April's stare fall on him. The way he acted last summer, the person he was last summer was so different than the person he was starting to find out he was now. Feeling April's eyes on him, made him question what she was thinking about him or his poor judgment in the past.

"Anyways, you should come. The party is just not the same without you, Jackson."

"I don't know, Shelly. April and I… we told Finn that we're gonna think about it and…"

"Oh, but please." Shelly interrupted him. "April should come too. That way we can all meet her and she can see who your friends are. Unless…" She continued, taking a second to look at April up and down. "… she feels too awkward around us. I mean, it must not be easy hanging around people like… us."

"I'm sorry. What?" April asked, understanding very well what she was trying to say.

"I didn't mean to offend you or anything and I hope you don't take this the wrong way…" Shelly continued, with a cynic tone in her voice. "… but we belong in different worlds and obviously parties in the Hamptons are not exactly the type of party a girl like you would attend, I guess. Besides, I don't believe the gardener's daughter can even wrap her mind around the fact that she'd ever be invited to a party like the one I'm throwing. Believe me… it's huge. Thankfully my parents don't mind when I have parties. They trust me… I'm a very responsible girl. And even though they're not going to be there, and thank goodness for that, I know all the right people… and all the right people want to attend my party. Of course, inviting you would be an exception, because you're basically a nobody in our world, but since you're with Jackson…"

"Shelly, stop it."

"No, no… it's okay, Jackson." April cut him off. "She's right. Your friend is right."

Shelly grinned, with a special spark in her eye, glad she won the argument, glad she had the power to say all those things and yet come out victorious. "Oh, I'm so glad you understood what I meant to say."

"You're not a nobody, April." Jackson said, looking at her and placing a protective arm around her shoulder, while holding his melting ice cream on the other. "And Shelly is being…"

"Shelly is being very polite inviting us… me to the party." April said, much to his surprise. She wasn't dumb though. She knew what Shelly was doing and if she wanted to play that game, then she could play too.

"Thank you for being so understanding, April." Shelly retorted, with a fake innocent smile. "So, will I see you at the party, then?"

"Maybe…"

"I don't think so…" They both replied at the same time, but Jackson was definitely not interested in going to the party. He knew Shelly way too well and she was not being polite, she was not being nice only to be nice and whatever she had planned in her little head, he didn't like it. Quickly turning his eyes to April, she seemed relatively calm and he couldn't understand why. "April…"

"So you're coming?"

"We'll see, but thank you for the invitation." She said, looking at up at him. Jackson shook his head, not happy at all with this idea.

"Sure." Shelly replied, casually moving her shinny blonde hair to the back of her shoulder. "Call me later, Jackson… to let me know."

He didn't reply. Watching her leave, he quickly turned to April with a puzzled look on his face. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing!"

"Nothing? She was…"

"She was trying to humiliate me, Jackson… I'm not stupid, I got that."

"So?"

"So, she's the stupid one if she thought I didn't see what she was doing." April replied, reaching for his hand and grabbing his ice cream. "Plus, I didn't want to start a fight in the middle of the street."

"But the things she said were not okay." He continued, watching as April took their melting ice cream to a trash can, throwing them inside. "She has no right to say those things."

"I know, but don't worry about her. I don't care about her… neither should you." April said, walking towards him again and placing her arms around his waist. Jackson rested his on both sides of her face, looking at her in the eyes. Then, caressing her cheek with his thumb, he slowly leaned forward, kissing her softly. It was the first time they were kissing in public, surrounded by people, like any couple do. For a moment, she forgot they were hiding from her father, sneaking around the property, trying not to get caught. The truth was, it felt amazing. She never had this before. Walking hand in hand with a boy in the middle of the street or feeling how proud he was about being seen with her in public, being kissed by a boy in public… she never had any of these things and it felt amazing.

When they finally pulled away from the kiss, April smiled and Jackson noticed. She was holding on to his waist with both hands wrapped around him, the contentment in her face was noticeable. The contrast from a few moments ago, when she accused of being ashamed of introducing her to his friends, was big. He admired her so much more now. The way she dealt with Shelly and all her offenses was truly amazing. If she didn't stop him or kept her cool about the situation, he would've screamed at Shelly, started an argument. But no… she handled it so much better, confident in herself, knowing that the weaker one was Shelly for thinking she was being superior, for being sneaky and covering the way she was trying to put April down. Looking at her no, he couldn't help but to wonder how could one girl always have the right actions or the right things to say…. how could one girl be so perfect? Then it hit him, he was falling… falling hard for her. Maybe this was what being in love was all about. He never met this feeling, since he had never been in love before, but somehow he knew… he was falling in love.

"So…" April suddenly said, eye brows raised and curious look on her face. "Was it true that you were so drunk last year that you pushed Cody Miller into the pool?"

"Hum… I was a little stupid back then." Jackson reluctantly replied, fearing she might not like to hear all about his old behavior, the way he used to be and act around his friends at Shelly's parties. "An idiot, actually!"

"Underage drinking and…"

"April, I was seventeen… you know how kids are. When we can't drink and people start drinking around us and it's a party and we're all having fun, things happen and…"

"Hey, Jackson!" April cut him off, shaking her head. They talked about this before, but Jackson didn't seem to be that person anymore. "It's okay. I know… and it's okay."

"It's just hard trying to be different when all people see is the stupid person I was." He confessed. "I… I don't know. I just wish I could have a fresh start."

"And you will. It all depends on you." April replied, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist. "Jackson, I already told you this before and I'll tell you again… stop thinking about people and their opinions of you. Act different, be better and you'll see that their perceptions of you are going to change as well."

"Well, at least I have you to tell me all those things."

"You do!" She said, in a playful tone, closing the space between them with her nose touching his.

"I'm glad I do."

"So do I!"

…

_Later at night_

"So, you really don't want to meet me tonight?" Jackson asked. They spent the past hour and a half talking on the phone about nothing and everything. She insisted that it was better off this way, since she feared her father might still be a little suspicious. Jackson agreed to talk on the phone, but he rather feel her touch, her presence, kiss her lips than just hear her voice. It was still better than nothing. Lying alone in his bed now, shirt off, window open to let the chilly breeze of the night cool the room, it reminded him of the night before, when he had the most intimate phone call he had ever had. Somehow, they spent an entire day without bringing the subject up. Maybe they didn't feel the need to do it because it happened in such a natural way.

"I'm sure."

He heard April's voice on the other side of the phone and tried picturing her, but not in a sexual way, like he did before. He just tried to picture her face, what she looked like in her pajamas _– the ones she told him were pink –_, the way her hair was probably tied together in a loose ponytail, the way she looked lying in her bed. "I miss you, you know." He whispered and she laughed. He loved her laugh and the way her cheek formed a cute little dimple every time she smiled.

"We spent the whole day together."

"Don't you miss me already too?" Jackson asked, hoping she'd say yes.

April paused, letting out a deep breath. The butterflies in her stomach gave her true feelings away. Of course she missed him already. He was all she could think about when they weren't together. "I do." She simply said, wishing the night could go by fast so that she could be with him the next day.

Jackson smiled, looking at the ceiling above him. They stayed in silence for a few long minutes, just hearing each other breathing through the phone, somehow comfortable with the quietness, almost able to feel each other's presence.

"Jackson?" April broke the silence after a while. He replied with a low 'what?'. "Have you opened my present yet?"

"No." Jackson replied. Turning his head to the left, he spotted the small green package on top of his nightstand. "You told me not to open it until you said so."

She gave him the package she kept inside her bag the whole day right before she left to go home. He was curious about it from the moment she hand it to him, but April made his swear he didn't open it until she said so. It wasn't a big deal and it was a simple present, but she figured after all the conversation they had, it would be a useful present. Looking at the clock, it was almost midnight now. "You can open it now."

"Okay."

"But first, before you open it, I want to tell you that even though it's not much and you might even find it ridiculous, I… I really think it's going to be very useful. It helped me a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"What you're about to see… my present, I've been using it since I was a little girl." She continued, trying not to give too much away. "And, hum… it has helped me figure out lots of things and… I hope it helps you figure out lots of things too."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say…"

"You'll understand in a second." She said, as he quickly sat on his bed to reach for the package. "And because of that I think it's for the best if we say goodnight now."

"What? Why?"

"Because I want you to take your time and enjoy my gift." She replied. The truth was she was a little shy about it, almost embarrassed about what he was about to see or… read. "So, goodnight!"

"April, wait… I…"

"Trust me, Jackson."

He took a deep breath and nodded to himself. "Fine."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, well… sleep tight!"

"You too."

After she hang up the call, he stared at the green package for a long second. What could it possibly be? He forgot about it until the moment he saw her taking it from her bag at the end of the day. She was being so mysterious about it that it made him even more curious. But he promised he wasn't going to open it until she said so. Now, holding the gift in his hands, he was dying to see what was inside.

Quickly ripping off the paper wrapping it, he was surprised to find out what it was. Taking it off completely and holding it closer, he couldn't help but to smile. It was a little red notebook, just like the one he saw her using when they first met. Was she giving him her notebook? Allowing him to read her journal, her thoughts? Was he about to find out all her secrets?

As he started to open it carefully, he noted that no… it wasn't her own notebook. The pages were white, unwritten and completely blank. However, he noticed a handwritten note on the first few pages. It was a message written by her.

"_Dear Jackson, _

_I once told you that a journal is where you write down your own personal feelings, where you write about what happened to you, where you analyze your life in a deeper level. Writing a journal can be used as a tool to understand who you are as person, to understand what you want for your life and learn from your past mistakes. A journal is a tool to figure yourself out._

_Many times we talked about life in general. Many times we talked about people and about ourselves too. Many times we talked about you, your life, your dreams and how you wished to have a different perspective on things... to have a brand new start._

_As you write and fill these yet blank pages, I hope you come to a better understanding of who you are, what you for your life, what you dream and are willing to fight for. I hope you come to the realization that you are not who people want you to be or picture you to be, because you're so much more than the Jackson Avery they know. I hope that as you rediscover yourself, you see that there are infinite possibilities and that this is just the beginning. I want you to be brave for yourself, to fight for what you want despite other people's opinions, because from what I've seen so far you're an amazing guy… an amazing person. Selfless, intelligent, honest, kind. I don't know what the future will bring or even if our story will continue after this summer, but I do know that your story will go on and that your future will be bright. _

_Write as much as you please in here, confide all your secrets to this little red notebook… trust me, it's a good listener!_

_With love, April."_

He had to read it three times to fully understand the message. It was strange feeling like this, to know that someone believed in him, that someone was there to support his decisions without making fun of them. It felt strange, but surprisingly nice.

He read it one more time, closely, slowly, tasting every word she had written, noticing the way the pen slipped through the pages, marking them. His heart was suddenly full and he lost all his ability to even think straight.

Moving his finger, he softly pressed it against her name and the way she signed it so beautifully. _'With love'_, he read again.

Without being able to contain his smile, he got up from the bed and made his way to his desk. Sitting on the chair, keeping his eyes on the pages she wrote, he opened up a drawer and looked for a pen.

Then, he turned the page and saw how she had already written the date, opening a writing entrance. Somehow she knew he was going to start tonight. The date was not the only thing written on the fresh page. There was something else and it seemed like a quote. He read it out loud.

"_I want you to show them the different between what they think you are and what you can be.  
- Ernest J. Gaines."_

Taking a deep breath, he opened up the pen. Then, placing his hand down on the paper, he began to write. However, the first word to come out was not even a word at all. It was a name.

"_April…"_

_..._

**AN:**

I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review and let me know.  
Now, I have to thank Carina for the Ernest J Gaines quote... thank you!  
I have to thank all of you for your support and excitement. Your reviews and messages make me really happy. Keep'em coming! Ha!  
I'll try to update soon.

Annie

PS: who's excited about Mama Avery coming to the Hamptons?  
PS2: and what about the party?

Let me know :D


	14. falling in love

_The next day_

"You're still here?"

"Hum? What?" Jackson turned his head to the door to find Mindy walking in with a laundry basket in her hands.

"I left you here half an hour ago and you're still here eating." She replied, noticing the untouched bowl of cereal in front of him.

"Yeah, I don't know…" It was true. He had spent the past thirty minutes sitting by the kitchen island, without even touching the food in front of him. His mind was far, far away. "I'm not really hungry." He said, looking down at the cereal bowl and putting the spoon down. Eating was the last thing on his mind. He just wasn't hungry at all that morning. Then, he looked out the window, at the garden, somehow hoping to see her there, maybe walking to the beach, wearing a cute little summer dress.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm just… not hungry." Jackson replied, but didn't even move his eyes. He wanted to be with April almost desperately. Not being with her seemed way too painful and he didn't exactly knew why, but she was the only thing he could think about.

"Loss of appetite! Oh I see…" Mindy laughed, putting the basket down on the kitchen countertop, while Jackson stood up from where he was sitting.

"See what?"

"Oh nothing!" She replied, taking the full cereal bowl from the counter top to the sink. "I just find it funny, because loss of appetite is common when someone is in love."

"What?" Jackson stopped and looked at her, giving her an incredulous stare. "Don't even start…"

"I'm not starting anything. I'm just saying…" Mindy continued. "You've been spending a lot of time with that girl, April. I've watched you two together… I think my boy is finally falling in love!"

"Mindy, please don't." It wasn't that what she was saying wasn't the truth. Maybe he was indeed falling in love. He just didn't want to talk to her about the issue. It was embarrassing enough to be feeling this way, since he couldn't eat or sleep or stop thinking about April. Sharing his feelings with a similar version of his meddling mother was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Now who would've thought? Huh?! But you shouldn't be embarrassed by it. Falling in love and…"

"You know what? I'm gonna go upstairs." He replied, taking a few steps over the kitchen door.

"I saw her walking down to the beach earlier." Mindy said and he stopped and turned around to look at her again. "She must be down there right now, since I haven't seen her coming up."

"You did?" He quickly walked towards the kitchen window to take a peek, knowing that he wouldn't be able to see a glimpse of the beach and yet hoping he could so he could spot her there. "You sure?"

"Yes. You were still upstairs and I was outside when she passed by me." She continued, watching as his behavior completely changed. His eyes wide open looking out at the garden, his neck stretched as far as he could, his body leaning against the kitchen countertop trying to see her outside. "She was very nice. Said 'good morning' and we chatted about the weather. It's not that hot today, but the breeze feels nice."

He didn't care about the weather or whatever she was saying for all that matter. "Good! Good!" He exclaimed, walking to the backdoor. "I'm gonna go now. See you later, Mindy."

Mindy watched him leave and smiled to herself. It was so clear he was falling in love with that girl. There was no denying it. But he was eighteen. There was nothing wrong in falling in love for the first time at that age. She knew he was heading to a big discovery and yet he had no idea how much things were going to change.

.

Jackson walked down the wooden path that led to the beach. Mindy was right. The sun was still hot, but the breeze was actually nice and compared to the past two days, it wasn't so suffocating to be walking outside.

When he reached the end of the wooden path, he looked to his right and left, noticing how the place was empty. Then he saw her, lying down on top of a beach towel, in the sand, wearing a green bikini – _the one she was wearing when he first saw her swimming in the pool a few nights ago _– her hair was falling down her shoulders in wet waves.

He started walking towards her and when she finally noticed his presence, she got up, standing there with the biggest smile on her lips. "Hey, you!" She said, when he approached her at last. However, he didn't give her any space to say another word. Instead, he took her in his arms, placing one hand on her waist, the other on her cheek, his lips on her lips. They kissed. It was a long kiss. So long and passionate that it seemed like they hadn't seen each other in months.

April wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him closer. If felt nice to feel him so close. As they mouths moved and tongues met halfway, she couldn't help but to feel the familiar butterflies on her stomach she was so used to feeling by now.

They only separated when they both needed space to breathe. Smiling and putting a lock of her hair behind her ear, Jackson let out a quick "Hey". He noticed how his t-shirt was now wet. She had been in the water not long before he got there. Laughing at the fact that they were both now wet, he took a step back, letting her body go, and quickly threw his shirt above his head. "You've been here long?" He asked, as she sat back down again on her towel, watching him strip.

"A bit." She replied, knowing he was making it impossible for her not to stare at his naked torso. "How did you know I was here?"

"Well, Mindy told me she saw you walking down here." He replied, letting the shirt fall down on the sand. Then, sitting on the towel next to her, he continued. "I missed you." April smiled, letting the dimple he loved so much show. Leaning towards her again, he caught her lips once more. It was a soft kiss this time. Just enough to let her know he meant what he said.

"I missed you too." She mumbled against his lips. They spent their entire day together and yet it didn't feel like it was enough. Being with him was never enough and she was glad he felt the same way too.

Jackson rested his hand on her hair, deepening the kiss, pulling her mouth closer. His hands slowly made their way through her wet hair. She didn't say anything else, but her hands rested on his waist.

Her lips were salty, probably from the water, but he loved her taste. Then, almost unconsciously they started lying down on the towel. Jackson half on top of her, his hand still on the back of her head.

It felt surprisingly nice to feel his body on top of her once again. He was supporting his weight was one harm, while the other slowly started moving from the back of her head down her thighs. She didn't find any problem with his touch. It actually felt really nice.

As their tongues tangled together, so did their legs when she allowed him to be on top of her at once. Maybe it was irrational, because they simply started kissing and the next second they were lying on the sand, on top of each other. It was all happening too fast, but none of them seemed to be bothered.

Jackson stopped the kiss and quickly placed his lips on her neck as April kept her eyes tightly closed. It was the first time she was experiencing this type of closeness with a boy and she was allowing herself to completely forget her surroundings and enjoy his touch.

He continued placing kisses down her neck, feeling her pulse through her veins. Her heart was beating faster and faster as his mouth traveled south and he could feel it. It didn't take long for him to start kissing her collarbone, enjoying the salty taste of her skin on his lips. His hands were travelling down her sides, along with his lips, as he allowed himself to feel her flesh with his fingers.

Her chest started going up and down faster as the rhythm of her heart increased. His lips kept going down, almost touching the top of her chest, reaching her breasts. The butterflies in her stomach were now out of control. Something was happening and she wasn't quite sure what it was, but thankfully they were alone in that empty beach. However, as soon as his lips touched the top of her right boob, he stopped. April opened her eyes and saw his staring at her. He quickly made his way up, looking like he had been back from another world.

"I'm sorry." Jackson said, facing her again, with an apologetic look on his face. "I didn't know what got into me… I."

April cupped his face and shook his head. "It's alright. It really is." She said, caressing his cheek with her thumb. "I don't have to say sorry."

"Yeah?" Jackson asked, surprised she didn't find it offensive the way he started kissing her body all of a sudden. Then she smiled and pulled his face to hers, pressing her lips against his, kissing him softly.

"It feels good." She confessed, mumbling against his mouth when their lips parted.

"It does." Jackson smiled, knowing exactly what she was feeling. It felt amazing to be this close to her, to feel her body beneath him, to kiss her skin, to feel her heart beating fast on her chest. However, now didn't seem like the time or the place to go any further than that. So, he decided to kiss her forehead and roll to his back, lying on the towel – half of his body on the sand, since the towel wasn't big enough for the both of_ them_ – next to her.

They both stayed quiet for a few seconds, trying to release all the excitement they were keeping inside. Stopping what they were doing didn't feel right and they both wanted more, but stopping was for the best.

"So…" April interrupted their silence. "Did you like my present?"

"I did." Jackson replied, looking at his side as April lifted her head, resting it on her hand, supporting it with her elbow, and turned her body around to face him.

"Did you use it?"

"Hum… I might!"

"Really?" She asked, with an enthusiastic tone in her voice. "You did? You used it?"

"Maybe." He replied, loving the way her eyes sparkled when he spoke.

"You did!" April said, tapping him on the chest. "What did you write about?"

"I'm not telling you!" Jackson retorted, with a grin on his lips. "It's private. You said it yourself."

"Well, it's not as private when I'm the one who gave it to you!"

"That makes no sense." Jackson replied with a frown. "It's my journal now… you don't get to know what I write about in there."

"Yeah, but… I still want to know how you feel… what your thoughts are." April rested her hand on his chest, moving it slowly. "Don't trade me for that journal."

Jackson lifted up his hand and tucked it under her hair. Shaking his head he looked right into her eyes and, almost whispering, he said "Never. I'd never trade you." Then, he made her lean forward and they kissed. It was a soft, small kiss… almost as if he was making her that promise. Looking at her and at how the sun reflecting on her wet red hair made it shine brighter, he wondered how he spent all his life without a girl like her and at how she was quickly becoming his closest friend, willing to listen, to care about him, willing to make him push himself and want to be the best version of himself he possibly could.

As she kept, moving her hand across his chest, he couldn't help but to think about the conversation they had yesterday. He didn't mind introducing her to his friends. He had no problems with it, since he never felt more proud to be seen with a person. Jackson didn't particularly wanted to go to the party. He had no interest revisiting the times he was a rebel without a cause, messing up with his friends and provoking people with his behavior. It all changed and didn't feel the need to behave like that anymore, he didn't feel the need to hang out with his old friends anymore. However, maybe it was important to her. Maybe it was important to let her know he wasn't ashamed of her in any way. "April…"

"Hum?"

"I've been thinking and…" He paused and she stopped moving her hand, looking at him curiously. "…do you want to go? To the party?"

"Shelly's party?"

"Yeah. I mean… do you want to go?" He asked her again, while sitting up. She moved as well, sitting straight next to him. "I keep thinking about yesterday and how I told you I don't have a problem…" Jackson stopped and looked at her for a second. He was not going to say he had a problem introducing her to his friends, because he didn't want to bring the issue up. Instead, he decided to reformulate his sentence. "…How I'd like to introduce you to my friends."

She looked at him with her eyes wide open and a surprised expression on her face. "I…"

"Only if you want to, I mean… we don' have to go." He quickly explained. Making her feel uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do. "We can keep this to ourselves, you know…"

"This?"

"This…our… thing." Jackson hesitantly replied. Their romance was still very fresh and almost no one knew about it. Perhaps she wanted to keep it under the wraps because of her father and he honestly didn't mind if that was the case. At that point, he just wanted to be with her.

"Oh, okay!" She said, nodding. "But… hum…How?"

"How what?"

"Even if I wanted to go and we decided to go, how would I be able to get out?" She asked, obviously talking about the fact that she couldn't just go home and ask her father if she could go out to a party.

"Well, sneaking out has never been a problem for you."

"But one thing is sneaking out to the house next to door…" April cut him off. "Another thing is actually leaving and going to a party."

"It's not that far from here… her house is not that far from here." Jackson said, placing one hand on her shoulder. "But hey… we don't have to go, okay? It doesn't matter to me. Unless you want to go, we…" He noticed how she turned her face to the ground, slowly moving it to the ocean in front of them. Her body language gave her away and now he was sure she wanted to go. "April, do you want to go?"

She thought before replying. The truth was she wanted to go. Not because of the needing of acceptance among his friends or peers; not because she needed that kind of attention. She wanted to go simple due to the fact that this was a real party, like the ones she saw in movies and fantasized about. This was the kind of party she was never going to be able to experience in Moline. Curiosity was a funny feeling after all and she couldn't be more curious about the whole thing. "I…" April started, suddenly embarrassed of her own curiosity. She could feel Jackson's attention on her, he was trying to look for an answer when he already knew how she was feeling. "I don't have anything to wear." She said with a smile, dismissing the issue.

Jackson laughed and moved the hand he had on her shoulder to her hair, playing with it with his fingers. "You don't have to worry about that!" He said. "It's not important. It's just a party..."

"It's not just any party…" April interrupted him, letting her feminine side get the best of her. She was sure all the other girls would be wearing amazing, over the top clothes, when she knew she would never even be close to their standards.

"It doesn't matter." Jackson continued, leaning towards her and placing a soft kiss on her naked shoulder. "Because you always look beautiful." Watching April trying to hide her smile, blushing instantly with his words, Jackson stood up, taking her hand and making her stand up as well. "We'll decide about it later." He said and she nodded. Then, without any warning, he picked her up, throwing her body over her shoulder.

"Hey! Jackson, what…?"

"We'll think about it later." He replied, walking down to the water as she kept struggling with her arms. "Right now… we need to cool down our ideas."

…

He looked to his right, moving his eyes from the road to her for a brief moment. There she was, sitting on the passenger side of his car, hands gently placed on her lap, legs closed together, her face looking out the window, to the pitch dark night outside. The soft smell of her perfume invaded the car as soon as they got in it, to drive to Shelly's house, ten quick minute away. Somehow they decided to go to the party. He could see it in her eyes that she wanted to go, that she wanted to see what the fuss was all about, what really happened amongst the high society and their extravagant parties. She told him she was afraid that her father might find out, that she didn't have anything to wear, that she didn't belong with those people, that it was going to be weird. However, he knew that the curiosity was consuming her and he didn't even have to force her to come. She came to that decision herself and he couldn't be more excited about it seeing how excited she was.

But now, as the car entered the gates of Shelly's property, he could see how her body language changed, how her hands started moving against each other and how she was probably trying to make the nervous sweat in them disappear. Her breathing also changed and her chest started moving fast as she searched for oxygen, trying to control the anxiety she was probably feeling. He knew that this was something new for her, but he didn't want her to feel like it was a big deal, because in fact it wasn't. Jackson was familiar to these type of parties, he knew what he was going to find. However, this time it was going to be a different experience. It wasn't just going to be another party for him, since he was bringing her and was going to introduce her to his friends.

Thinking about it also made him feel a little nervous, since he wasn't sure exactly what they were at that point. How was he supposed to introduce her? As his friend? Close friend? Girlfriend?

When he parked and stopped the car, he turned to her and noticed how she seemed lost in her thoughts. "Everything alright?" Jackson asked. April turned her head to him, facing him with a nervous smile on her lips, nodding. "So you want to go?"

"Of course, Jackson." She replied, taking off her seat belt and opening the door.

Jackson got out of his car as well, waiting for her as she walked around the car to meet him. When she finally reached him, he took her hand in his, proud to be with her. She looked beautiful in his eyes, wearing a simple spaghetti straps red dress that showcased her collarbone just perfectly, a simple pair of heels and her hair falling down her back in the perfect curls he was so used to by now. "You look gorgeous."

"You already said that." She blushed, still not used to hearing his complements all the time, but he didn't care that she blushed because all he said was true and she needed to know it.

Then, she turned her face to the mansion. Every window seemed to have a bright light coming out, which made the house look shinier from outside. They could hear the sound of people inside, the music and since it was a little past midnight, Jackson thought that the party should be in full force at that time of the night. "Let's go!" He said and she nodded, holding on firmly to his hand as they walked side by side into the open doors of Shelly's mansion.

He didn't expect to feel his stomach squirm when they finally reached the front door and made their way inside. The truth was he was nervous… for her, because he wanted people to make her feel welcomed; for himself, because he didn't want to make her go through any hard time.

Jackson noticed how April moved her head around when they walked down the hallway, watching all the people dance, hang around, some other make out with each other in the middle of the room. Shelly's house was a big enough and he was so familiar with the space, he was sure where she would be partying with her friends… _their_ friends.

She was the _it girl_ of the moment, so no wonder everybody wanted to attend her parties. Someone who was someone was there. Some older, some young; Some he knew in person, some he only saw on TV or magazines. One thing he knew for sure… Shelly certainly had the reputation to throwing huge, amazing parties and her reputation wasn't a lie. She was the best and her parties were the best he had ever attended in his life.

"Jackson!" They stopped once he heard Finn's voice call for him. "You came, man!"

"We did!" Jackson replied, sensing by the loud tone in his friend's voice, Finn had already been drinking. "April and I decided to come."

"April! Right! Hi!" He turned to April and with a surprising enthusiastic tone greeted her. "You're gonna like it here."

"Thank you." April replied, not sure of what else to say.

"C'mon, Jackson!" Finn continued, hitting him playfully in the arm. "Hang out with us. The rest of the group is just outside."

Jackson looked at April, who nodded quietly, then back at Finn. "Sure."

"Yeah!" Finn said, turning his back on the pair to lead the way into the garden, where the center of the party was taking place, where Jackson knew Shelly and their friends usually stayed at these parties, sitting on some garden chairs, by the pool.

"Oh, Jackson… you're here!" Shelly shouted, when she saw him walking across the grass. "I'm so glad you're here." She quickly stood and ignoring April on purpose, she held her arms against Jackson, pulling him close into a hug, making him let go of April's hand. "I thought you were not going to come now that you are acting so weird lately."

"I'm not acting weird, but…" Jackson said, gently pushing her, trying not to be rude. "April and I decided to come."

"April. Oh, hi! Barely saw you there!" Shelly smiled, looking up and down April's body, taking mental notes of what she was wearing, keeping every inch of the fabric of her dress on her mind to gossip with her friends later. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." April said, feeling Jackson's hand reaching for hers. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Oh, no… don't bother about it. A friend of Jackson's is a friend of mine." Shelly replied, giving her a smile so bright and friendly, someone who didn't know better could actually believe she meant it. "Lovely dress!"

April looked down at her red dress, placing her free hand on her stomach, moving her hand to adjust the fabric. "Thank you." She said. "I'm glad it fits the occasion."

"Right! I almost forgot this is the first time you attend a party like this." Shelly said, throwing her hands in the air, almost as if she was mad at herself for that, pretending to be bothered by that, almost offended. "I mean… who would've thought the gardener's daughter would ever see the inside of my house, how much attend my own private party!"

"Shelly, don't start with…" Jackson started, but April's squeezed his hand and turned her face slightly to the side, to face him. He knew April was better than that. Shelly's way of speaking could be hurtful and offensive, but he knew his girl was so much stronger than that.

"Oh no! Jackson, I didn't mean to be rude." Shelly replied. The sweet tone in her voice was not doing enough to disguise her true intentions. "But, c'mon… the girls are just there."

When they met with the rest of the group, April felt everybody's stares on her. It was like she was fresh meat, ready to be fed to the wolves. She knew that this was going to happen and she was prepared for it. Yet, it was hard being the focus of all attention.

"Guys, Jackson came!" Shelly quickened to say, standing next to him, moving her arms, almost as showing him as a piece of a showcase to the group.

"He was missing, but he came back to us!" Finn said, holding the beer bottle up, almost cheering to what he said.

Jackson looked at the friends. Lila was sitting next to Finn, who had an arm around her shoulders. Their proximity made him wonder if something really happened between them in the past few days; Ava was sitting next to a guy he had never saw before, probably her boyfriend.

"Who is she?" Lila asked indiscreetly, staring at April.

"Oh, this is April!" Jackson replied, letting go of her hand to rest it behind her back. "April Kepner."

"Oh, hi!" Lila said, without even trying to fake a smile.

April slowly lifted up her hand to wave a hello, while Jackson continued. "April, these are Lila, Finn you already know, Ava and…"

"Aaron Reynolds." The Ava quickly intervened. "My boyfriend."

"But tell us, Jackson, what have you been up to?" Shelly cut her off, placing her hand on his shoulder, calculating her every step with care. "I'm sure April is a great company, but you can't possible have that much in common with her to completely forget about us… your friends."

"Well, we do have a lot in common." Jackson said, ignoring Shelly's hand and looking at April instead. "So much."

"That's funny. Considering who she is." Lila retorted, talking in a low tone, likely trying not to be heard by them, but they heard her and it was enough to drive Jackson over the edge. He was done.

So, almost unexpectedly, the words came flying out of his mouth. Without taking his eyes off of April, he cleared his throat and said it. "April's my girlfriend."

She felt her stomach almost drop to the ground, her knees started shaking, her palms sweating and she felt out of breath for a second. And the huge grin on his face gave it all away. He if wasn't sure what they were a few minutes ago, because they just started hanging out more and more the past few days, one thing he knew for sure… he wanted her to be her girlfriend. For a moment he forgot they were surrounded by other people and the only thought in his mind was that her smile seemed to agree.

"Girlfriend?" Shelly's voice interrupted his thoughts. "But you've only known her for like… a week?"

"Yeah, well…"Jackson started, noticing the aggravated tone in her voice. "I guess you can't control who you like."

"Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" Finn asked, with a surprised look on his face.

"Well, I'm sure it's just a summer fling, right?" Shelly cut him off. "I mean, how can this possibly last."

Jackson looked at April again and reached for her hand again. Then, as her eyes lingered in his for what if felt like forever, he finally said. "With a girl as amazing as she is, I'm not even bothered with that."

"Jackson…" April shyly whispered, feeling her cheeks blush. When he said he didn't have a problem introducing her to his friends, she never expected all of this. Maybe he wasn't expecting it either. However, hearing those words come out of his mouth never felt better.

"Okay!" Shelly said, almost heavy breathing, losing it completely. This was not how things were supposed to go. "Well, this is… surprising. It's strange hearing you say those words, but… okay."

"Don't see how!" Jackson replied, knowing that he was lying. It was indeed strange, even for him, to be saying those words about a girl. However, he had never experienced this kind of feeling before and without knowing why, he realized that he wasn't afraid to show it. Maybe being in love meant this: wanting to show the world just how much you appreciate the person you're with.

"Hum? Okay…" Shelly said, desperately wanting to change the topic. "How impolite of me! I didn't even offer a drink? Can I get you guys anything?"

"No." April said while Jackson shook his head. "I don't drink, so…"

"Oh, but I have all kinds of drinks." Shelly retorted. "Not just alcoholic."

"No, Shelly. It's alright." Jackson replied. "We can go get drinks ourselves."

"Sure!"

With that, they both politely smiled and turned around to walk towards the bar. Walking hand in hand, she could still feel her heart beating hard against her chest. It was official now. She was his girlfriend… at least to his friends. "So…"

"Yeah?"

"So I'm your girlfriend now?"

"I mean… only if you want to! Do you want to? April didn't reply, instead she stopped walking, making him stop as well. Smiling timidly, she licked her lips, looking up at him. He chuckled, finding her adorable. Then, he placed his free hand on her neck, slowly pulling her closer, ready to kiss her perfect soft pink lips.

They kissed for the first time in public like that. Surrounded by his friends and everybody else, without even bothered trying to hide it.

Then, suddenly Shelly's voice interrupted their moment. Jackson stared at her with the most annoyed look he had ever given someone. "Sorry." She said. "It's just that… Finn. Finn just wants to talk to you."

"Finn? Can't he wait?"

"Hum, no. I don't know. He just told me he'd be inside waiting for you." Shelly replied, noticing how Jackson took a peek, trying to see if his friend was still sitting on the same seat as before, only to realize he wasn't.

"But… now?"

"Yeah." Shelly continued. "But I don't know…"

"It's okay, Jackson." April said, nodding her head. "It's fine. I'll be fine! Go talk to your friend."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure." April replied, not wanting to be the type of girlfriend who depends on the guy, who hold on to him, who doesn't let him be with his friends. "I can get us drinks and we'll meet when you're done."

Jackson thought for a second and then agreed. Giving April a quick peck on the lips, he walked inside to meet with Finn with Shelly following him.

Now, alone, April turned around to walk towards the bar. This whole night was turning out to be amazing. April didn't mind Shelly's comments, since she knew she was only trying to mess up with her head and even though it could be frustrating, she was going to hold her voice for as long as she could. She was not going to give Shelly the pleasure of watching her make a scandal in the middle of a party like this.

When she reached the bar and waited to order something, she noticed how a guy walked towards her and leaned against the counter next to her. He was tall, with blue transparent eyes, very handsome. "Hi." He said, but she gave him a strange look, not enjoying this type of approach. "I saw you were with Avery, right? Jackson Avery?" April nodded and he continued, giving her his best smile, it was a warm smile, like he had known her before, like they've been friends forever, like he cared for her in the way that no other boy did…the type of smile that could make any girl feel weak on the knees. "We're friends, Jackson and I. I saw you two just now. You're what? His girlfriend?"

"I guess so."

"Alright." He continued, as the waiter serving the drinks met them. "Can I get two beers?" Then he turned back to April and winked. "One for me… one for you."

"Oh no! I don't… I don't drink."

"Oh I see… you must be what? Eighteen?" She nodded, realizing he was obviously older. He went on. "It's okay. Loosen up a little. Nobody here cares if you're drinking or not."

"Yeah…"

So, you're the girl who finally got Avery, huh?" When she didn't reply, he looked at her. Then it hit him that he didn't introduce himself. "Oh, I'm sorry! You must think I'm some kind of creep."

"No… no."

"It's okay, though." He gently lifted his hand to shake her hand. "I'm Mark… Mark Sloan."

…

**AN**:

First of all I want to thank you for your reviews. They mean so much to me. I love reading them and knowing what you think about the chapters and the story so far. So thank you for all the reviews and support.

I hope you liked this chapter. Things are heating up between Jackson and April!

I realized that I tend to write more from Jackson point of view. It just that I started writing this story from his point of view and now I find it easier to write the story this way. Hope you guys understand that and like it.

Jackson is falling head over heels in love with her and is not afraid of showing. April's in love too but somehow feel more comfortable writing it from Jackson's side.

I also hope you liked that I put Mark into the story!

A lot it's still going to happen, so keep reading!

Please leave your review!

Love, Annie.

PS: And wait for it… April is going to defend herself from Shelly!

PS2: Sorry for any mistakes!


	15. stay

**Rated M**

**Sexy japril times ahead!**

…

"Where's Finn?" Jackson asked when entering the room Shelly led him to after she told him Finn was looking for him. However, Finn was nowhere to be found. Turning around to face Shelly, who was closing the door behind her, he instantly knew something was up. "Shelly?"

"I don't know… the bathroom, maybe." She replied, shutting the door with her back to him. Then, she turned around and walking towards him, she continued. "But it doesn't matter, because I'm the one who wanted to talk to you."

The truth didn't surprise him. It was Shelly after all and he knew her too well. Of course she'd lie to get some time with him. "What? Why?

"I wanted to talk to you in private, but you were glued to that girl and I…"

"So you made me leave April all alone out there so you could talk to me?"

"She's a big girl, I think she can handle a few minutes by herself." Shelly said sarcastically. Jackson shook his head and started walking towards the door determined to leave, but Shelly quickly jumped and stood in front of the door. "Jackson, please don't leave."

"Let me go out. Shelly, I'm not even kidding."

"No! Wait…" She said, almost begging.

He looked at her and even though he didn't like knowing April was out there, looking at his friend and at how desperate she was, he decided to give her a chance. Resting his hands on his hips, he let out a deep breath. "What do you want?"

"Why did you bring her?" Shelly asked right away. "Why did you come with her?"

"Hum… you invited us. Remember?"

"But I never thought you'd actually bring her!" She continued, with a slight tone of frustration in her voice.

Jackson rolled his eyes, thinking she could not be serious about this. What was she expecting? She invited them both and he'd never come alone to this. He didn't want to come at all and if it wasn't for April, he probably wouldn't have stepped outside his house to go there in the first place. Things were different this year… things had changed this year. Of course his friends were having a hard time accepting those changes, but what could he do about it?

"And what's with the 'girlfriend' thing?" Shelly went on, putting an almost ironic emphasis on the 'girlfriend'. "You can't possibly be serious about that. Jackson, you don't even know who this girl is… you barely know her."

"And what it your point exactly?" Jackson asked, with a serious tone. He knew where this conversation was heading and he was not in the mood to discuss this with Shelly. It was none of her business anyways.

"My point is that she's the freaking gardener's daughter, Jackson." Shelly retorted, probably thinking that was a valid argument when to Jackson it wasn't.

"So?"

"I don't understand, Jackson. You barely hang out with us now… with me!"

When Shelly spoke he realized that this was purely about jealously. He knew that she had always had a crush on him and last year he made the mistake of making out with her in one occasion, leading her to think there could be more than just friendship between them. "Shelly…"

"And you choose to be with that girl, who you just met and you completely forget about me?" She immediately cut him off, proceeding with her frantic speech. "What does she have that I don't? Huh? She's not even pretty… I'm way prettier than her. And she's poor… My gosh! This is a joke, Jackson. She's a joke."

"I don't admit you talk about April like that!"

"What can possibly be so good about her, Jackson?" Shelly continued, without giving herself time to breathe. "She must be really good in b…"

"SHUT UP!" He yelled, knowing exactly what she was about to say. She was crossing the line and Jackson could feel his nerves on the edge, his temper about to explode. "Shut up, Shelly. You don't want to go there."

"I mean, what else can you possibly do with her all day?"

He had to take a deep breath in order to go on without doing something he would regret later. "For your information, she's a smart girl… so smart." Jackson said, somehow feeling like he had to defend April's honor. "She's kind and funny. She's gorgeous and I like her… she likes me too, so you're just gonna have to deal with it." With that last remark, he walked towards the door, not wanting to spend another second in her presence.

"She's just using you." Shelly said when Jackson put his hands on her to move her body, since she was blocking the door. "When we're rich, they all do!"

Jackson stopped and fulminating her with his eyes, he almost lost it right there. However, he decided not to say anything, since in his heart he knew Shelly couldn't be more far from the truth. April could never use him. She wouldn't.

Forcing Shelly to move, he opened the door and made his way back to the party, desperately wanting to find April.

When he walked back to the garden, he saw her standing near the bar area, right where he left her. She wasn't alone though. He could see her giggling to the jokes a tall guy was telling her. Not able to see his face or who he was from where he was, he quickly walked towards them.

"Jackson, you're back!" She said, when she saw him coming. At the same time, the guy turned around and Jackson was taken by surprise.

"Avery!"

"Mark?"

"How are you doing?" Mark asked, approaching him and pulling him closer to a hug. "I was just talking to your girl here."

"How did you two meet?"

"Oh, I saw you two together, then you left… I was just keeping April some company." Mark replied, putting an arm around Jackson's shoulders. "Now the real question is… how did you get a girl like her, huh?" He then turned to April. "I bet he used his Avery sparkle with you, didn't he?"

…

"So…" Jackson said, parking the car just outside the garage and turning it off. They spent about another hour at Shelly's party and decided to go home when things started getting a little crazy, when people started getting a bit drunk. He actually had a good time at the party. Mark really made the difference and he loved talking to the friend he didn't see in such a long time. Now, turning his face to April, he noticed how her cheeks had a little more color than what they usually had, probably because of the beer she had drank. She warned him she wasn't a good drinker and since she wasn't used to drinking, she slightest thing could leave her tipsy, but he knew she was just fine. "We're here… home."

April looked at him and nodded. The smile she was sporting on her lips during the party vanished the moment he entered the gates of his property. He knew why, because he felt the same. "I have to go." She said.

"I know. I know." Jackson said, not ready to let her go just yet. It was getting harder saying goodnight as the time passed by, when all he kept thinking about while he was trying to fall asleep was her and how he wished he had her by his side. She shared the same feelings. But the truth is when you're falling in love, all you need is to be with the one you want. It can be a suffocating feeling, it can be exhausting wanting someone so badly, but that's what falling in love is all about. "Did you enjoy the party though?"

"I did… I did!" April replied, nodding again. "Your friend Mark is nice."

"He is. He's one of the nicest people I know."

They stayed in silence for a couple of long minutes, neither of them wanting to leave that car or finish that conversation. However, neither of them knew what else to say. So, turning his body to the side, Jackson slowly reached for the hand sitting on her lap. Unlike other times, her hand was warm and thinking about the first time he touched her small hand, he smiled.

"Jackson, did you mean it?" April asked, breaking the silence and making him wake up from his memories. Jackson looked up at her, while played with her fingers and she continued when he raised his eyebrows at her question. "When you said I was your girlfriend… did you mean it or did you just say that to piss Shelly off?"

"No! Of course not!" He responded. "It wasn't to piss Shelly off."

"I think she likes you." April went on, looking down at their intertwined hands to avoid his stare. "The she looks at you… the way she talks to me…"

"She might have a crush, but it's not important." Jackson continued, but he was definitely not in the mood to talk about this or Shelly for that matter. "All I care about is you!" She couldn't help but to smile. The way he spoke made the crazy butterflies in her stomach make an appearance again and he noticed how her whole body language changed. So, using his other hand, he caressed her cheek with her thumb, making her look at him at last. Her usually bright eyes were now dark from the shadows of the night. They were still as beautiful as ever in his honest opinion. When he looked into her eyes, he could see everything. They were a mirror of her soul and from what he could tell, she had a kind soul. Every second he stared at her eyes, he wished he could've known them his whole life, because they spoke the truth. Her eyes were the source to her feelings and he could tell by the look in them she wanted desperately to tell him something she was holding back. Then, a thought crossed him mind and he knew what he needed to say… what she was waiting to tell him but couldn't find the voice to do. "I want you to stay."

"Stay?"

Her voice was timid, but her eyes were suddenly wide open. He had managed to read her mind almost telepathically, but that wasn't so hard to do. "Stay with me tonight." When she didn't reply right away, he wondered if he had actually misread the signs. "But only if you want to." He quickened to say.

April shook her head, as if dismissing the second part of what he said. "No… no…I'd love to."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. This night has been really special to me. Staying with you..." She retorted, speaking in a soft low tone. "Is what I always want."

"It's all I always want too." He said. "You know, when I'm trying to fall asleep, all I wish is that you could be there."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not!" Jackson said, giggling when she hit his shoulder playfully. "Believe me when I say…" Then he stopped and the smile on his lips suddenly disappeared. He had never said this to a girl before. It wasn't much, but he couldn't help but to feel this intense feeling in his chest. "…when I say I really like you, April." He watched as she blushed and licked her lips, taken by surprise and yet understanding the deep meaning in his words. "Because I do… I really do!" He didn't know why or what it was about this girl that made him want to say this things like that or spent all his time with her or think about her all the time. It was a feeling he was not able to control… one he simply couldn't explain.

"Well…" She said, lifting the back of her head from the car seat. "It's getting late…"

"Yeah." He freed her hand from his and reached for the door. However, before opening it, he turned to her, giving her the choice to be sure, and asked. "Do you really want to stay?"

April didn't reply. Instead, she opened the door and stepped out of the car. He followed her and soon they were walking hand in hand towards the front door of his house. "You won't get in trouble for this?" Jackson asked reluctantly, afraid that the sudden thought of her father finding out could make her change her mind.

"As long as no one finds out, I'm good." She replied. He didn't know how their secret was going to last or how they were going to keep sneaking around from her father. Of course all the hiding part could be sort of exciting, but he didn't particularly like the idea of not being able to enjoy their romance the way he could if they didn't have to hide. Maybe with time April would come around with her father. All he knew was when that time came, he'd be there for her.

They walked in silence for a bit, until they reached the front door and Jackson allowed her in. The house was dark and silent. It was past 2 in the morning and since he knew Mindy would be asleep, they ran upstairs quietly, without making any noise.

Once in Jackson's bedroom, he walked over his bedside and turned on the nightstand light. April stopped and he noticed how she quickly looked around. She had only been there once, the day they decided to give it a chance, but the way her eyes wandered around the room made it seem like she was looking at the space for the first time. "Sorry, it's a bit of a mess." He said, picking a pair of shorts he took off when he was getting ready to leave to meet with her from the floor and throwing them into the closet. "I didn't have time to clean it up before going to the party."

"It's okay." She replied, taking the first steps into the room. "I don't think it's too messy anyways."

"Yeah, well Mindy cleans it up almost every day, so…" He said, scratching the back of his neck somehow embarrassed to admit she did all the work. Then, he watched as her eyes landed on the small red notebook she gave him the day before. It was laying on the desk near his bed, carefully closed, with a pen inside marking the last page he used to write.

"Is that…?"

"Hum, don't…" Jackson walked fast to her, just in time to catch her hand as it was about to reach for the journal.

She looked at the hand placed on top of hers, then back at him. "So you're really using it to write all your secrets, huh?" April playfully said, giving him a teasing smile at the same time.

Jackson felt his cheeks burn and a desperate need to refocus her attention in something else. It wasn't that he didn't trust her with what he had written on that notebook. He simply didn't want to watch her read it, because what he wrote were mainly thoughts about her. So, he shook his head and pulled her hand.

As he pulled her hand away from the journal, she could feel the tension in his face and the way his breathing increased when she threatened to open it. Decided to tease him a little bit more, she turned her body around, facing him. "You're not going to tell me all your secrets?"

She was giving him a playful smile and he could only think about how sexy it was. Of course he didn't mind telling her all his secrets… or most of them. He wasn't ready to share with her what he had written just yet and he didn't exactly know what secrets he was willing to tell her, but one thing he knew… most of his secrets were related to her nowadays. There was no use in keeping them away from her. So, lingering over her, he used his free hand to move a lock of her hair. After exposing her neck, he let his hand rest on it, almost feeling her pulse with his fingers. He was going to share his secrets with her. Yes, he was. Just on a different level. Then, closing the space between them, he moved his face closer to hers, watching as she shut her eyes as he came near her. He planted a soft kiss on her lips and it felt like they were sharing a small secret. But that kissed was not enough. He had so many more secrets he wanted to share with her. So, without even giving her time to open her eyes, his mouth fell over hers once again. However, this time the kiss wasn't as soft as before. It was a kiss full of passion and when he forced his way into her mouth, when their tongues met each other, when he started feeling the need to brush his body on hers and to rest his other hand on her waist, there was no stopping them.

April's back hit the desk as she rested her hands on both sides of her hips. There was no way she could escape, but she didn't want to escape his kiss anyways. So, allowing herself to go a little further, she managed to slip her hands under his shirt.

Jackson smiled against her lips when he felt a pair of warm hands travel under his shirt and run his sides. Deepening the kiss, he desperately tried to release some of the tension he was started to feel inside his pants by gently brushing them against her. She seemed to notice what he was trying to do, but didn't mind, letting her hands go further up his torso inside his shirt. The way her small hands were touching his hard muscles, was enough to want him take the shirt off and let her explore them freely.

Somehow, he felt like she read his mind, because her hands moved down back again. Then, breaking the kiss and moving her face just enough to look at him, she rested her hands on the hem of his shirt. They almost didn't need to share any words. The way they were looking at each other was enough and so, without even moving his body, Jackson placed his hands above his head and allowed her to slowly remove his shirt.

There was something very sexy about the way she was staring at him, her usually sweet eyes were now filled with pure desire. It was a stare he hadn't seen in her before, but he was sure it was not going to be the last one.

When his shirt hit the floor, her hands went back to his torso, running up to his chest. His heart was starting to beat faster and he was certain she could feel it. This wasn't how he planned things to go, since he didn't plan anything sexual to happen. But things were simply happening and he didn't want them to stop. Actually, he wanted more, he needed more. So, he placed his hand back on her face, caressed her cheek and bent down again to catch her lips once more.

April rested her hands on his chest as they kissed, feeling his hard nipples with the palms of her hands. The way his tongue moved inside her mouth felt amazing and she suddenly started feeling like the room was too warm. Things only got worse for her when his mouth parted from hers and his lips travelled to her neck. She gasped when she felt his warm breath against her pulse, the way his tongue played with her skin, licking it calmly. Her hands traveled to his shoulders and she found herself finding support on them and raising her body off the ground, standing on the tip of her toes, almost as if letting him find space in her neck to kiss her more.

It amazed him at how he could still smell a hint of her perfume at that point, after the party, all the smoke and drinking around them. But he could. He could still smell the sweet scent of her perfume right behind her ear, probably were she sprayed it before she left. It smelled so good, that it only made him want to kiss her harder right on that spot. However, when he started sucking the sweet aroma of her skin with his mouth wide open, he heard her whisper her name. Jackson didn't stop at first, but when she said his name a little bit louder, he stopped. "Sorry…" He quickly said, afraid he might have pushed it a little too far. "I didn't mean to…"

"No, no…" April shook her head and let her feet fall back to the ground. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just…" She paused and looked at him. Her hands were still on his shoulders, she was still feeling flushed and her breath was still a little out of order. Seeing his eyes be filled with something that could be described as guilt for what he could've possible done wrong to her, she gulped and went on. "I want you, Jackson. I don't know how, but… I want you to show me."

"Show you?"

She could tell he was confused by her request. However, she wasn't really sure what she wanted after all. All April knew was that she wanted more, she wanted to feel him close and bare herself to him. So, raising her hands from his shoulders to the thin straps of her red dress, she slowly moved them off her own shoulders, one at a time.

His eyes followed her movements as his mouth dropped open in surprise. Knowing now exactly what she meant, he watched closely as her dress fell on the ground with the help of her hands, after she pushed it down her body, and how she stepped off of her heels, pushing them to the side with her foot. Jackson had seen her in a bikini before, but standing there, knowing that she wanted him to 'show her more', seeing her barely covered by her black strapless bra and panties was somewhat completely different. And even though he knew that things were heading towards that direction – in which they were both stripped to their underwear - it was so much more intimate than what he had expected. "April…" He said in a weak tone, trying not to stare at her breasts and the way they fitted her bra perfectly. "I... I don't want you to think I planned any of this when I asked you to stay, I…"

"I know, but… I'm glad you did… I'm glad you asked me to stay." She replied, letting her hands rest on his hips again, right on the edge of his jeans. "I want this, Jackson. This night has been so special and I want this."

"You want this…" He repeated after her, letting her words sink in. The truth was he wanted this as well, probably more than her.

"And this is going to be the first time, because I've never been with a boy like this before." She continued, but instead of making him feel more at ease, it only made him feel more apprehensive. It was her first time, with a boy, ever… in every way. And even though he wasn't as experienced as he wished he could be, he wanted nothing more but to make her feel good. He didn't want her to know he was feeling nervous about all of it, but he was. He was a virgin not so long ago and he had never been with a virgin before. However, before he could say anything, she continued. "I… I want this. I want you."

It didn't take another word for Jackson's mouth to be over hers, kissing her deeply and with all the enthusiasm he had inside of him. Hearing her say those words, the way she spoke, the way they were loud and clear drove him crazy. 'I want you'. Damn, he wanted her too.

Jackson let his hands go up her back as he kissed her. Touching the clip of her bra, he had to stop himself. Perhaps it was too soon to take it off, exposing her breasts to him. He was dying to see them, but he was not going to take advantage if that wasn't what she wanted. He felt her hands on his jeans, slowly putting down the zipper and running them down his legs. Their lips parted when he helped her put down his pants, kicking them to the side quickly. He was now only in his underwear, just like her, and he could feel her eyes on the bulge formed inside his boxers. Putting one hand under her chin, he wanted to reassure her that she could back off at any time, that she only needed to say the word and she'd be free to leave. That was not what he wanted at all, but if it was her choice to stay, it was her choice to stop things before they went a little too far.

She seemed to understand the look in his eyes and gave him a nervous smile. Maybe she was starting to feel it too… the nervous sensation that was starting to mess up with his stomach. He didn't know why he was so anxious, but perhaps it had to do with the fact that he wanted things to go smoothly. He wanted things to go perfect, but he feared that his lack of experience would ruin it. However, he quickly pulled himself together and reminded himself that he had no reason to be nervous. This was the girl he was falling in love with, this was the moment he had been fantasizing about for days and it was all happening now.

Slowly putting his hands on her waist and watching as she started walking backwards, they forwarded towards the bed. April lied on her back as Jackson hovered on top of her, carefully, almost afraid that the weight of his body could crush her. She started opening her legs, adjusting in between him, wrapping them around his waist. It felt really good to brush his bulge against her panties and feeling her center so close. Then, he caught her lips again, kissing them again and again and again. They moved together, all tongue and lips and teeth… all their desire held back in this never-ending kiss. April placed her arms on his sides, while he rocked himself against her and Jackson could feel his erection growing. It was feeling good for him and the way she moaned could only be a sign that it was feeling good to her as well. So, decided to focus on her at first, he moved his lips to her jawline, leaving kisses along the way until he reached her neck. Then, he kissed the bit of her skin where he could still smell the pleasant scent of her perfume. Her legs were wrapped tightly around him and her hips were starting to move up and down, perhaps looking to feel something more. Jackson had to stop for a second and catch his breath. Throwing his head to the nook of her neck, he thought that there was nothing he wanted more in that moment, but to strip down his boxers and let his member grow freely. Once again almost as if reading his mind, her hand traveled from his side and rested on top of his bulge, making him moan deeply. She started massaging him gently, but hardly enough to make him get lost in his own little world for a minute. Jackson had to remind himself that this had to be about her first… at least at first. So, shaking his head to try to concentrate, he continued to kiss her neck, making his way down south, only stopping when he reached her collarbone. Her strapless bra was still covering her and he wanted to take it off as quickly as he could to continue to kiss her until she lost her mind.

Looking up at her, she nodded. "It's okay." April whispered, knowing what the next step was supposed to be. She arched her back and he reached his hand to unclip the black bra, only to throw it to the floor. He kept his eyes on hers for a long second, just waiting for her to be comfortable in her new position. It was the first time doing this with a boy, it was probably the first time she was naked in front of one too. He just wanted to make sure she was alright. However, the anticipation of wanting to see her breasts was killing him. So, he calmly looked down when he felt like it was time.

Her breasts were perky, not too big, but not too small… they were just perfect in his opinion. After taking a deep breath, he placed his lips on her pale skin again and kissed his way down. April moaned when he started licking the areola around her erect nipple. He was enjoying himself too, because it felt amazing hearing her soft, low moans while he worked on her. Opening his mouth, he took all he could fit in, sucking her nipple steadily, making April close her eyes in pleasure and cup the sides of his head with her hands. He could feel her body tremble under him, her legs suddenly get a little loose around him, probably feeling like they were about to break with this new source of satisfaction. He couldn't wait to show her more, to make her feel more.

After he finished playing with her other breast, Jackson licked down her flat stomach. Her skin was soft and the pale tone of her skin made her look like a beautiful porcelain doll. It was so clear that she was unbelievably gorgeous now that he had the time to admire her naked beauty and touch her skin the way no one ever did. He felt the muscles of her stomach contract when he moved his tongue by them and looking up really quickly he noticed how her eyes were still close. She was delighted in all these brand new sensations.

He stopped when he reached her panties. The need to take them off and see her completely bare was real. He wanted it more than life at this point. He wanted to kill her with pleasure and help her find her own nirvana. Jackson had never performed any type of oral sex before though. He was totally unexperienced on that field, but he wanted to try with her, make her feel things she had never felt before and he knew that her center was the most sensitive part of her anatomy and that it wouldn't hurt. He didn't want to hurt her, he wanted her first experience to be amazing. Having sex with would probably hurt at first. So, decided to go with his feeling, he started kissing the fabric of her panties very lightly.

"Jackson…" April called him name, aware all of a sudden what he was doing. He looked up and she brought his face up again. He wondered if he was moving too fast, if she needed more reassurance that he was there for her, to make her feel at ease.

Facing her again, he leaned towards her, kissing her lips again. She was nervous, but he was too. He liked her so much that hurting her or making her feel insecure about the whole thing was the last thing he wanted. Plus, he would never do something she didn't want. However, he wanted to show her 'more', just like she asked him to. They only need to break through that barrier of first embarrassment or fear or whatever it was she was feeling to make him stop, and he was sure she was going to find heaven.

As they deepened the kiss, Jackson moved his hand to her breast, playing with her nipple gently, squeezing it softly. He started getting that she liked that, because of the way her body responded to his touch. At least one thing he was going to take from this experience: he was going to know how to read her signs and understand what gave her pleasure. It was going to be a discovery that they were going to make together.

Then, after letting go of her nipple, he moved his hand to her legs, tucking it in between them. April responded to that by parting her lips from his instantly, but he ignored it and pressed his mouth against hers, continuing to kiss her with vigorously. The hand he placed on top of her panties, started moving, caressing her with care. She mumbled something he didn't understand, but by the way she was starting to sound, with all her moans, could only mean that she was enjoying it.

Putting all his fears aside, he finally slipped his hand inside her panties to massage her properly. It was something he had never done before either, caressing someone in such a soft spot, but after adjusting his big hand to her small area, he was able to make her moan even harder at last. His fingers played with her center and her viscous wetness was starting to come out. He knew that she was more aroused than ever. So, breaking the kiss and kissing her full body again, this time a little bit more quickly, he only stopped when he reached her panties again. Taking his hand off of them, he repositioned himself in between her thighs and when he started kissing the fabric of her panties once more, April didn't protest.

Her panties were very wet at that point and so, resting both hands on her sides, he looked up and cleared his throat to speak. "Hum, April?" He asked, making her open her eyes and move her head so that she could see him. "Can I…?" She took a deep breath and finally nodded. Jackson nodded back at her and she lifted up her bottom so that he could slid the panties down her legs. It almost happened in slow motion: he sat down on his knees, April's legs were open to let him fit in, then his hands pushed her panties down, she lifted up her butt, he slid the material down her legs and when he threw them to the floor, he was able to see it all. He felt his heart beating fast on his chest with the thought of having her fully naked lying on his bed. This wasn't his fantasy anymore. This was really happening and it was almost hard to believe that he wasn't dreaming, that he wasn't going to wake up and watch her disappear in a puff of smoke. No, she was really there, completely bare, with all her insecurities and fears put to the side, or at least most of them, and he was going to be the guy to first touch her where no one ever did.

After taking a moment to let it all sink in, he calmed his own nerves and found a comfortable position in between her wide open legs. Then, kissing his way up her thigh, he noticed how April's breathing was starting to get a little racier. The anticipation was the one killing her now.

Jackson kissed her inner thigh, teasing her for a long moment. The truth was he was gaining himself some time, because he had no clue of what he was doing. This was going to be his first time performing oral on anybody and he had no experience whatsoever when it came to this. Everything he knew he learned from watching, from the internet. He wanted to be good at it and he was scared that he might hurt her in some way with his mouth on the most sensitive part of her anatomy. He was decided though. It was going to happen, he was going to make it happen and it was going to make her feel good.

He kissed her inner thigh, grabbing her hips with his hands. Trying to remember everything he had seen was proving to be a hard thing to do now that he found himself in this position and his mind went completely blank. The best way to do it was to go with his instinct. There was no denial they were both nervous with what was about to happen, but Jackson decided to get lost in her. So, slowly making his way into her center, he applied a soft kiss in it, tasting it at first, trying to know what it felt like and she tasted like. Then, he moved his mouth again, gently, always keeping in mind it was a sensitive area. He started by licking her outer lips lazily, taking his time to explore them. With the help of one hand, he touched her clitoris very gently and it was noticeable its erection and the lubrication around her center was making his lips feel salty. He didn't stop until she started moaning again. His teasing was proving to be too much for her, but that was exactly what he wanted… to make her lose her mind. Petting her clitoris with his thumb, he noticed how her body was starting to respond. It was so sexy watching her like that, completely crazy for him and his touch. It only made him want to give her more.

So, he moved his finger from her and opening his mouth, he started licking her clitoris. April's body contorted with the soft pressure he was applying on her. Jackson kept playing with his tongue in slow gentle movements, almost like French kissing her down there. He closed his eyes for a second, focused on her taste, on his rhythm, on her moans. However, her legs started to move, pulling away from him, almost as if she was struggling with the sweet torture he was making her go through. "…stop, stop, stop…" Jackson heard her say with a husky voice. "…I can't… I can't take this. It feels…"

"April? April, look at me." Jackson said, after stopping and looking up at her. She opened her eyes and faced him, supporting her body on her elbows. Her face was read and her breath out of control. He could only guess that she made him stop because it was starting to feel too good, a whole new feeling of pure pleasure she had never felt before. It could be scary to let herself get lost completely, to lose her mind completely and to let her body lose all senses, but he was sure once she put aside her fear of getting lost, it'd be worth it. "It's okay…" he said, wanting to reassure her that it was okay to feel good, to feel pleasure, that she didn't have to be embarrassed by it. "We're doing this together and we're going to do this together, okay? Do you trust me?" She replied with a low 'I do'. The sparkle in his eyes was enough to make her feel more at ease. "Okay…" He said in between a deep breath. "Talk to me, April. Tell me when it feels good." She nodded and he licked his lips, moving back to his position in between her.

Gently kissing her clitoris again, it didn't take long for him to start hearing her moaning. Jackson quickly realized there was no other sound he'd rather hear. He rested his hands on her thighs, holding them closely to help her deal with the need to move them away, and April suddenly spread her legs open and rested them on his shoulders. Jackson started sucking her clitoris as she repeatedly moaned 'Slow, slow…" It seemed that she was enjoying this long slow torture and he was going to give it to her just like she wanted. Sticking his tongue out again, he licked her clit, feeling April's hips move beneath him. He looked at her really quickly and noticed how she had one had on her right breast, stimulating her nipple, her eyes were closed, her head tilted back on the pillow. She then moved her other hand, caressing the top of his shaved head, letting it move with his rhythm while he licked her harder. "Hum… just like that." She whispered. "… just like that." It amazed him how all his nerves went away all of a sudden. She was enjoying herself and there was no better feeling but to feel her come undone because of him.

Since she was feeling much looser now, he decided to move one hand from under her thigh and bring his fingers to the action. Jackson stroke around her vaginal opening, feeling the viscous mucus on his fingers. When he came close to her entrance, he heard April let out a loud "Yes." So, without moving his lips from clit, he introduced one finger inside of her, not sure if she was comfortable with more than one, afraid that it could hurt her somehow. She felt tight around his finger, but as soon as he started thrusting in, her walls started getting looser and looser. April moaned his name and applied more pressure to the top of his head with her hand, begging to be taken over the edge. "Oh my…" She said, without even being able to finish her sentence with the way his tongue worked on her clit. Jackson moved his finger deeper inside of her, faster and she almost cried out his name. "Let it go." He told her, knowing she was close to reaching her orgasm. "Let it go!" It was a demand, since he wanted to watch her as she came for him. Flicking her clitoris and pushing his finger inside of her with all he had, he finally felt her legs spasm, the hand she had placed on his head moved to grab the pillow supporting her head, and she moaned loudly as her body shivered at the release.

Jackson looked at her seconds after, but she was still absorbing her intense orgasm, probably still on the moon, letting the feeling and everything that came with it sink in. He slipped his finger out and cleaned his mouth with the back of his hand. Then, he crawled back up, resting his head on the pillow next to her and turning to the side just in time to watch her open her eyes. Moving his hand to her stomach, her held on to her as she came down from her high. "You okay?" He asked, with a silly smile on his lips, proud of himself to accomplish the task of providing her with an intense orgasm.

"Yeah, yeah…" April replied, still trying to catch her breath, looking up at the ceiling. "That was… amazing."

"Yeah… and… I mean, you're amazing." April smiled and turned to the side. He noticed the sweat dripping on her neck, the way her messy hair fell on her face when she turned around, how red her cheeks were. They just shared a moment of intimacy like he had never experienced before and what amazed him the most was how connected to her he felt. It only made him wonder what it would feel like when they actually had sex. But now was not the moment to think about it, because thinking about it would only make him want to do it more when he decided tonight was not going to be the night for that. Moving the fallen piece of hair from her face, he put it behind her ear. Then, closing the space between them, he placed a soft kiss on her lips, allowing her to taste herself on him.

As they deepened the kiss, Jackson rolled onto his back with April standing half on top of him. The bulge inside his pants was still there, more prominent now than ever. Watching her have an orgasm left him aroused as well. It was one of the sexiest things he had ever seen in his life. Especially, since he was the one making her reach it. April's slowly lowered her hand towards his crotch, resting it outside of his boxers. She moved her lips down to his neck, kissing him there for the first time. Deliberately brushing past his crotch, she started rubbing the inside of his thigh. Jackson closed his eyes knowing that his time had come. After caressing his inner thigh right next to his bulge for a long torturous minute, April slowly moved her hand to his groin area and started to gently grab and massage his penis. Jackson sighed, thinking she was doing her best to drive him crazy. His boxers didn't have enough space to support his growing member at that stage. All he wanted to do was finally set himself free. So, making her stop for a second and reached for his sides, he watched as she lied on her side next to him supporting her head with her elbow, while he pushed the material down his legs. Then, he lied back, but April didn't move and he noticed the frozen look on her face. He rested one hand on her waist and made her look up and him. "Everything alright?"

"Yes. Yes." She reluctantly replied, with a low tone. "It's just that… I've never touched one before." April confessed, moving her stare back to his penis.

In that moment it all made sense to him and for a second he felt guilty for not taking that into consideration when he quickly stripped down. "It's okay, you don't have to…"

"I want to." She fastened to reply. He was about to say she didn't have to touch it or do anything she didn't want to, but she wanted to do it. Knowing that maybe she just needed a little help, Jackson reached for her hand and placing his on top hers, almost intertwining his fingers on hers, he guided her.

She touched his penis with his help and guidance, feeling the skin around it and how hard it already was. "It's… soft." April shyly said, coming to the first conclusions at how it felt around her hand. "… and big."

Jackson laughed. The last comment worked as a major bust to his guy ego. April grabbed hold of his member and started moving her hand up and down his shaft, feeling his full length, exploring what she had to work with. He could tell she was curious about it, but since this was the very first time she was holding a penis in her hands, he was not surprised. Then, applying a little bit of pressure, she wrapped her fingers around his erection and studying her next move, she took a deep breath and started moving her hand. However, Jackson sighed and made her stop. She looked at him like she had done something wrong, giving him an embarrassed apologetic stare. "Am I doing this wrong?" April asked, but Jackson took the hand he had placed on top of hers and cupped the side of her face with it.

"Don't worry. Just look at me." Jackson replied, noticing how she kept looking at the movement of her hand and probably overthinking about what she had to do. "We're doing this together, okay?"

April nodded and he made her come down to kiss his lips. Without letting go of his member, she opened her mouth and let his tongue meet hers. His penis was getting harder as they deepened the kiss and when she started moving her hand again, he groaned.

There was no need to speed things up just yet and he wanted to take the time to enjoy the touch of her hand around him for a while longer. When April moved her lips to his neck, sucking his skin while moving her hand slowly up and down his shaft, Jackson let his hand come close to his mouth and licked his hand. Then, he ran his wet hand down his member, lubricating it to make it easier for her to play with it. After that, he pulled her face to his again with the desperate need to feel her lips and to kiss her passionately.

After kissing her for a long minute, April pulled away and focused her attention on his member again and he was totally okay with her decision, because it was starting to feel amazing. Her fingers were wrapped around his penis and she moved her fist up and down in a slow, but steady motion. "Does this feel right?" She asked.

"It feels… amazing." Jackson replied. Her eyes were glued to his and the way she was now licking her lips with her tongue was driving him insane. "Keep going… April, don't stop, just use the other hand too."

She quickly wrapped her free hand around his member, playing with it too. It was nice that he could guide her into this since she had no idea what to do or what felt good. When Jackson moaned again and again, she guessed she was doing it well. The intense stare in his eyes, the way he was looking at her with such hunger could only be a proof that she was doing it well.

He was focused on her face, relishing on her touch. As one of her hands kept playing with his full length, the other was rested on the top of his penis, massaging it gently, allowing all the nerves in it come to live and make him want to shout. "April…" He said out loud. She simply smiled, biting her bottom lips. It was extremely empowering to be in her position, to watch him start breathing faster by the second, hopelessly trying to control himself.

Suddenly, she moved her hand to his testicles and he remembered how incredibly sensitive they were. She fondled them between her fingers, not quitting what she was doing with her other hand. Jackson threw his head back and groaned. It was a sound that came from the deep inside of his being. "April… oh, don't stop." He begged, as she gently cupped his testicles, squeezing them too.

Jackson craved his heels on the mattress and spread his legs open, while April kept working with her hand rhythmically up and down along his shaft. He could feel his crotch on fire. Having her there, with her hand wrapped around his length was so much better than picturing her through the phone, just like he did when they had their first sexual conversation. Her warm hand was doing wonders and he could only feel the anticipation grow inside of him.

April moved the hand she used to stimulate his testicles back up towards his penis, using her nails to scratch his testicles on the way. Then, she went back to rubbing his hard member with both of her hands, switching rhythms, thinking the whole time that she needed to be gentle.

He could feel it coming at that point, every single one of her strikes felt like torture at that point, it was getting painful when she touched him and specially the way she touched him. Jackson was so sensitive at that stage that all he wanted was to find his release. But he was so, so close. "I'm gonna…" He started saying, somehow trying to warn her about it.

"Let it go, Jackson." April spoke much to his surprise, almost mimicking his words a few minutes ago. "You can… cum for me."

"Fuck!" He said, not being able to keep his eyes open anymore, closing them down tightly. Her shy, low voice and what she said triggered him and he was done. Throwing his head against the pillow and digging his heels into the bed, he felt the muscles of his stomach contract, his butt clench and his fluids spill all over her hands. He moaned, biting his lips, releasing a grotesque sound at the same time. "Crap…" Jackson quickly said, opening his eyes after he realized he had just ejaculated on her hands, how a portion of it was on her chest. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"It's fine." April replied, freeing his penis from her hands at last. Her arms were hurting from all the pumping, but she never felt more pleased with herself. It was the first she saw a real penis, touched one and ended up giving the boy she liked a handjob… all in one night.

Jackson moved on the bed and opened one of the drawers of the nightstand by his side. "I have tissues here." He said, taking out a box of Kleenex and quickly handing her a bunch of tissues so that could clean herself up.

"Jackson, it's okay." April reassured him as he tried to clean her chest. "I knew it was going to happen. It's okay."

He stopped and let out a deep breath. His body was still shaking from what just happened, all of it, and when she smiled back at him, making him feel less embarrassed, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and made her come near him. Then, he kissed her on the lips. It was a soft, sweet kiss, just enough to let her know he appreciated her and everything she was, everything she did.

Once their lips parted, they quickly cleaned themselves. A sense of awkwardness fell in the air and April found herself covering her breasts with one arm. She felt shy all of a sudden and the sweat running down her spine was no longer warm. "It's getting a little cold." She said and Jackson, noticing the change in her body language, got up from the bed and handed her her panties, which she quickly put on.

"I'm gonna go get you my pajamas." He retorted, walking naked to his closet. Once in there, he searched for a pair of clean boxers to put on and the drawer where he kept his shirts. Walking back into the room, he found April sitting inside the covers, with a sheet wrapped around her naked frame. "Here… you can put this on." He said, handing her a clean t-shirt, and crawling back into the bed to sit next to her. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you." April replied, putting on the shirt he had given her. Then, they both lied on the bed, inside the covers. Her head pressed to his bare chest, her arm resting along his stomach, their legs intertwined together.

Jackson felt his mind spinning out of control. Even though he was exhausted, he couldn't stop thinking about all that just happened, how he didn't plan for any of this to happen and how he didn't regret any of it. Kissing the top of her head, he could feel her falling asleep on top of him. He had to admit that the way he was lying was not the most comfortable position, but as long as she was comfortable, he wasn't going to move. "April?"

"Hum?" She mumbled, with her eyes closed and part of her mouth pressed to his skin.

"Are you glad you stayed?"

She moved her head and looked up at him. Then, she smiled and placed her head on the original position. "Of course I am."

…

_Morning after_

Jackson felt the sun shining on his face and quickly threw an arm over his eyes. 'Forgot to close the curtains', he thought to himself. However, all of a sudden, the memories from last night rushed through his mind. Afraid to open his eyes and realize it was all a pleasant dream, he slowly moved the arm away from his face and turned to the side. It wasn't a dream. There she was, with her back to him, sleeping in his old scarlet t-shirt, with her messy hair falling down the pillow.

He reached for her and snuggled against her body, placing one arm over her stomach and pulling her closer. Then, almost unconsciously, he put his nose right behind her ear, looking for the familiar scent of her skin. In that moment, she opened her eyes, observing the room around her and realizing as well where she was and what happened. "Hey." Jackson whispered, before placing one tender kiss on her neck. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you." April replied, holding his hand and allowing herself to feel his body pressed against her back. "You?"

"Very well too." Jackson said, remembering how he loved feeling her fall asleep on his chest, with her body half on top of his. It felt amazing sleeping with her by his side.

"What time is it?"

"Hum… I don't know. Let me check." Jackson replied, moving over his side to grab the watch he had placed on the nightstand. "6.15. Why?"

"I have to go." April said, with a lazy tone, falling on her back. "I don't want to though."

"Then don't go." Jackson said, supporting his weigh with an arm and looking down at her. "We can sleep in."

"But my dad might wake up and look for me…"

"He won't…" Jackson shook his head and bent down to kiss her neck. "He won't and you are not leaving this bed."

"I really can't stay…"

"No!" He continued kissing her neck, making her giggle. "You're not leaving. We're gonna cuddle now and…"

"Cuddle?" She teased him. "We're gonna cuddle?"

"What? You don't believe I'm the cuddling kind of guy?"

She made him stop kissing her neck and cupped his face with her hands. "Last night was amazing, Jackson. But if we want to have more nights like that, I really have to go."

He took a deep breath and let out a displeased "Fine!" Then, she got out of the bed and he followed, decided to take her out.

They house was still silent and Mindy was probably still asleep. It was too early anyways. So, they quickly made their way downstairs and through the back door of the kitchen, they walked across the garden, barefoot and wearing the same clothes as they went to bed with. When they were near her house, they stopped and Jackson placed his hands on her back, resting his forehead on hers, while she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I loved being with you last night." April said, talking in a low tone.

"I did too." Jackson replied. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded and he placed a kiss on her lips. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay."

After watching her go inside, he made his way to his own house. It was great night, but now all he wanted to do was to fall back in his bed and sleep. It wouldn't be the same without her though and his bed felt simply cold without her.

…

**AN:**

Long chapter!

I just hope you liked it!

So, they took a big step in their relationship.

I'm gonna explore more about Jackson not being a virgin but not being experienced in the next chapter, as well with his relationship with Mark.

Tell me what you think about this chapter and LEAVE A REVIEW!

Anyways, thank you so much for all the reviews and support.

Keep reading and enjoying!

Oh, and… a big shout out to my girl Georgia, who helped me with the sexy parts of the chapter!

Sorry for any mistakes or typos you might find!

Love, Annie


	16. the unexpected visitor

Jackson took the rest of the morning, after April left, to sleep. He only made himself open up his eyes again when he heard his phone ring on the nightstand. It was Mark, calling to meet with him later that day. Jackson agreed right away, since he actually missed his friend's company. After the call, he texted April, letting her know he wasn't able to be with her that afternoon, but she seemed fine with it.

Now, a little over 1.30pm and after eating lunch, he decided to head back to his room and get ready, because Mark would be there soon.

Walking back to his room completely lost in his own thoughts, still thinking about the night before, it was still a little hard to believe that everything that happened actually really happened. The sight of April lying naked on his bed wouldn't leave him mind. Maybe it was all happening too fast, but in his heart he knew that it was all falling into place at the right timing. It all happened because it was supposed to happen.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he noticed that the door of his bedroom was open, not the way he left it when he went downstairs to eat. So, without taking any second, he rushed to the room, only to see Mindy bent over the floor with her back turned to him. "What are you doing here?"

Mindy turned around, very slowly, with a serious look on her face. "No." She said. Then, she faced him and he saw what she was holding in her hands. His heart seemed to stop and simply froze. "The real question is what are these doing in here?"

"That's…"

"This is a red dress… and these are a pair of heels. Oh and this…" She continued, not breaking eye contact with him. "This is a black bra and you're going to tell me what the hell these items are doing in here. Now!"

"That's none of your business." Jackson replied, but his voice was so dry now that he could barely project it.

"Oh but it is! I happen to be responsible for you and for this house. Your mother trusts me. Now I'm not trying to keep you under my leash, but when you bring a girl home and she spends the night here without my knowledge, it sure as hell becomes my damn business." Mindy said, throwing the dress and the bra carelessly to his bed. "And you better tell me now what you did last night and who was here last night, because I will not admit this kind of reckless behavior. You cannot bring just any girl to this house, let her spend the night here…"

"It wasn't just any girl, alright?"

Mindy stopped and placed her hands on her hips. "So who was she?"

Jackson knew that saying her name could leave her in trouble, especially when she told him last night that as long as no one found out that she spent the night over his house, she'd be fine. However, he also knew that it was better to tell Mindy the whole truth, not wanting to make her think he was now bringing home some random girls. So, clearing his throat, he decided to tell her the truth. "It was April."

"At least it was her! She's the girl you're _seeing_ now after all."! Mindy said, but he couldn't tell if she was being ironic or not. The way she said _seeing_ sounded a little ironic in his opinion. "Why?"

"Why did she spend the night here?" Jackson asked and Mindy nodded. "Well, we went to a party and it was late when we got home, so I asked her to stay and…"

"And she stayed." Mindy finished his sentence, shaking her head in disapproval. "I thought you were smarted than this."

"What? Why? April is…"

"It's not about April. She seems like a nice girl, but you have to understand that if you're having sex with that girl the least you could do was to use protection. From what I can see…" She said, opening her arms to point to the room. "…You didn't use any. I thought you were smarter than that, to be honest."

"What? No. We didn't have…" Jackson quickly said, but he stopped as soon as the word 'sex' came to his mouth. They didn't have sex… or did they? Well, they technically didn't, but in a way they did. As he tried to figure out what to say about it, Mindy jumped ahead of him.

"If you didn't, then why are her clothes all over the floor?"

"Well, like I was saying… it was late, she stayed and we slept together. And when I say slept together, I mean it… she slept here with me, in my bed, but nothing happened." In his opinion he wasn't really lying, he was simply omitting some parts of what happened, but Mindy didn't have to know everything. "I borrowed her a t-shirt and this morning, when she left, we forgot about her clothes. It was really early when she left and we were in a rush."

"Why were you in a rush?" She inquired. "Did you think I was not going to find out she spent the night here? Were you trying to hide from me?"

"Hmm…no!" He confessed. The truth was Mindy didn't cross his mind the whole time. "We were in a rush, because of her father. He doesn't know we've been seeing each other."

"Why?"

"Because… well, it's complicated. But Mindy, please promise me you won't tell him about this… all of this!"

She didn't reply and started walking towards him instead. Then, she stopped in front of him and simply said. "You might think you can fool me, but I know better." Passing him by without saying another word, she left. The serious tone on her face was still there and he thought she was still too angry for some reason to make any promises. As long as she kept this a secret, they'd be fine, April and he. However, he understood what she meant. She knew something had happened… something more than just sleeping.

After Mindy left, Jackson quickly picked up April's things to put them in his closet. How could he forgot them there, on the floor, knowing that Mindy was probably going to come into his bedroom to make his bed, when he went downstairs to eat? Such a rookie mistake, he thought to himself.

As soon as he walked out of the closet, he started pulling up the sheets, to make the bed Mindy left unmade after finding what she found and coming to her own conclusions. Then, he heard the doorbell ring. It didn't take long for Mark to be walking in, with the brightest smile on his face and a loud "Avery! What's up?"

"Mark, how are you?" Jackson walked towards his to shake his hand, but it seemed like his friend noticed the aggravated frown he was still sporting on his face, because he stopped and stared at him for a minute.

"Better than you, it seems!" Mark replied. "Something wrong?"

"No… no, I mean…"

"C'mon. Spit it out."

"It's just that…" Jackson shook his head, turning his back on him to sit on the bed. He shouldn't discuss this with anyone, but this was Mark and he was usually a good listener. Plus, he had way more experience than him. So, scratching his neck, he reluctantly spoke. "It's just that Mindy found out that April slept here last night. She's not happy about it and…"

"Wait, wait, wait…" Mark quickly said and Jackson looked up at his friend's curious expression. "She slept here as in… you're sleeping with that girl? Way to go, Avery!"

"No! It's not like that." Jackson retorted, lowering his head back down. "We didn't have sex."

"Oh... you're gonna tell me you're still a virgin?" Mark said, almost in a tease.

"No, I'm not a virgin." Jackson cut him off, standing up from the bed and walking away. He stopped in the middle of the room, turning around again to face Mark, thinking he was being stupid for feeling a little embarrassed about this.

"You're not? When did it happen?" His friend asked, crossing his arms against his chest. "Now I want to know."

"Junior Prom…" Jackson replied, scratching the back of his neck again. "… with Penny Cairo."

"Seriously? How was it?"

"Well, it was… fine. I mean, as fine as it can be."

"Just fine?"

"Let's just say she was more experienced than me. She was a senior and I was…" He was about to say something more, but decided not to. It was awkward enough to be talking about this with another guy. His first time was amazing, of course, but Penny Cairo was just a girl who had a crush on him. She was a little older than him and knew way more than him when it came to sex. However, his first experience was nothing special after all and the memories of him and that girl sneaking out of the dance to a hidden place around the school was not something he wanted to remember right now, after having such a special night with April. "You know what? Forget about it!"

"Relax, man. You don't have to be weird about talking to me about this."

"Well, I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, okay… fine! So, you and April didn't have sex." Mark said, sitting on the bed. He noticed how Jackson became quiet, his hands on his pockets, his face almost turning red. "Something happened! If you didn't have sex, then wait… did she go down on you?"

"What? No…"

"Did you… on her?" He asked, but Jackson didn't reply, shyly nodding instead. "You did?"

"I…"

"You did! How was it?"

"I think it went well, considering it was a first…"

"Oh this is good!" Mark said with enthusiasm, making Jackson think he was actually acting like a girl. "What did you do?"

"I… I just improvised. I had no clue what I was doing, honestly." Jackson confessed, letting out a deep breath. "But she liked it… I think!"

"The thing you always have to remember is to be gentle, especially when it comes to that particular area." Mark started saying, but Jackson was somehow not surprised by it and his sudden need to give him some advice. "Remember that you're not pushing a button, it doesn't work like that. She'll have a good time if you know how to work with the clit. You have to be gentle and caring. Get her wet and start licking it…"

"Alrigth, I know…" He cut him off again.

Mark stopped, thinking that his friend had no reason to be embarrassed to open up about this issue. It was just sex after all. "Is she a virgin?"

"I'm pretty sure she is… Yeah, she is."

"Do you wanna do it with her? Have sex, I mean?"

Jackson looked at him and bit his lip. He was a guy after all, a very young, full of hormones guy. Of course he wanted to have sex with her and it took every bone in his body not to do it or convince her to do it last night. Fooling around with Penny Cairo was fun, but it happened a long time ago. Thinking about doing it with April was killing him slowly. So, clearing his throat, he said. "I do."

"Does she want it too?"

"I think so, but we just started dating and I don't wanna screw things up."

"Well, sex is…"

"It's not all about sex." Jackson said. "April is an amazing girl. She makes me feel… she makes me feel things I've never felt before and I'm really liking her, you know. It doesn't always have to be about sex. Sex is awesome, but I don't want to do it just to do it, not with her anyways. I want to do it right this time. I…"

"You're in love with her, man. That's what it is."

Jackson didn't say anything for what if felt like the longest time. He was right… It didn't take long for him to fall and now he was falling hard in love for her. "I… yeah, I guess."

"Don't think about it too much, though." Mark went on, getting up from the bed and walking towards Jackson. "Things will happen when they need to happen. Just remember to always use protection, keep your ding dong under wraps, 'cause you don't want to get her pregnant. Oh, and be gentle… always!"

"Yeah…"

"Now, let's go outside and shoot some hoops, man." Mark said, tapping Jackson's shoulders.

…

"Hey, you!" April said, walking towards Jackson as he dribbled the ball and took another shot to the net.

"Oh, hi." Jackson turned to her, smiling, leaving the ball fall carelessly on the ground to kiss her on the lips. Mark left after two hours of talking and playing basketball. When he left, Jackson kept on playing alone, thinking about texting April to meet with her. He didn't have to though, because she appeared in front of him almost as if she knew he was there.

"Did your friend already leave?" April asked, as Jackson nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Did you have fun?"

"We did." He replied, leaning to kiss her again. "But I missed you."

"I missed you too!"

"What did you do all day without me?"

"Nothing special. Did the laundry, watched some boring TV."

"Sorry I'm all sweaty!" He said, when April held her arms around his neck. "Mark and I played for a while."

"It's okay. I think you look very hot when you're sweaty." She retorted, with the teasing smile he knew so well by know.

"You do, huh? Well, I think you look very hot all the time." Jackson said, loving their proximity and all the memories of her naked in his bed that kept crossing his mind. "Do you wanna go inside? We could watch a movie."

"Yeah, we could do that."

"Great, let's go then."

When they entered the house, Jackson led her to the living room. Mindy was nowhere to be found and was actually relieved that Mark spent the rest of the day with him after the incident. He knew he had to tell April, though. She needed to know that Mindy had found her clothes in his room and that she had figured it all out.

April sat on the couch, but Jackson stopped before following her to clean his sweaty forehead to the hem of his shirt. When he put the shirt back down, he noticed April's eyes on him. He wasn't shy about his body whatsoever, but he definitely took special pride on his abs. April was biting her lower lip as her eyes lingered on his stomach for a little longer. Jackson moved and sat on the couch next to her, smiling at her hungry stare. "Why are you looking at me like that?" April asked when his eyes fell on her. "Are you trying to use your Avery sparkle on me? Mark told me all about it last night."

"Does my Avery sparkle work on you?"

April shook her head, knowing she was only lying to herself. "No, it doesn't."

Jackson laughed and placed his hand on her waist. Then, he rested his forehead on hers. "April, I need to tell you something…"

"Hmm?"

The way she sounded made it impossible for him to tell her what he needed to say and he didn't want to ruin the mood now. So, cupping the side of her face with his other hand, Jackson cleared his throat and decided it wouldn't hurt to tell her later about what happened with Mindy. "I missed you so much today." It wasn't a lie, because he did miss her anyways.

April slowly closed her eyes and leaned forward, catching his lips. Kissing her felt amazing, letting his tongue meet hers, his hand caress her check as they kissed. He could never get tired of kissing her.

Suddenly, April raised one hand to his chest, making him fall back on the couch, only parting her lips from his to get on top of him, wrapping her legs around his hips and resting her hands on his neck. Then, she moved her lips again, kissing him deeply.

Jackson placed his hands on her legs, slowly making them travel up her thighs. She was wearing a skirt, which allowed him to go as far as he could, only stopping when he felt her butt cheeks, gently squeezing them and making her move against his groin. He could almost feel her center through his basketball shorts, which gave him great pleasure.

"Well, well, well… I surely never expected to come home and have such a warm welcome!"

April stopped kissing him and looked up. Jackson tilted his head back as well and felt his whole body freeze for a second. "Mom?"

"Oh Gosh!" April said, jumping from his lap and falling over the couch down to the floor with the shock. "Oh!"

"April!" Jackson quickly got up and helped April stand on her feet again.

He looked at his mother, standing by the living room door, with her typical superior pose, handbag in one arm and a serious stare. Then, he looked back at April and saw as her whole face turned bright red. He knew she couldn't be more embarrassed. "It's Catherine Avery!" She exclaimed, trying to fix her clothes as she got up with Jackson's help.

"Yes, yes it is!" Jackson's mother spoke again. "Now the question is… Who are you and what on earth are you doing s_nuggling_ with my son, in my house?"

…

**AN:**

Hey! New chapter!

It's short, I know. But Catherine Avery is here! What do you think is going to happen? Will she like April? Will she cause any trouble?

Anyways, about this chapter: I know that on the show Jackson said he lost his virginity to 2 girls at the same time. I chose not to use this idea. I want to portray Jackson as an inexperienced guy, so that he and April can discover things together… kind of!

I want to thank you all for the reviews! Thank you. Reviews always inspire me to write more and they let me know how you're feeling about the story.

So, let me know how you feel about this chapter and LEAVE A REVIEW!

I hope you're enjoying the story. Things are heating up now!

Oh, I'm sorry for the typos or mistakes you might find. :(

Keep reading!

Love, Annie.


	17. mama knows best

"Who are you and what on earth are you doing s_nuggling_ with my son, in my house?"

"Mom, this is April." Jackson replied. Glancing over to April, he noticed how her face was bright red. April raised one hand and waved nervously at the woman, while Jackson placed a supportive hand on her lower back. "April Kepner."

Catherine kept her eyes on her, looking at her up and down with the same serious semblance on her face. "April Kepner." She stated and they both nodded their heads.

"I'm a huge fan of your work." April started, with a shaky tone. "I read your article on The American Journal of Medicine about the penis... Your penis." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she stopped talking, aware of what she had just said. Looking as embarrassed as ever, she turned to Jackson, who turned his face at her at the same time, but before he could say anything, she looked back at Catherine. "I mean, about your penile transplant. Not your penile transplant, of course. What I meant was… I read about the penile transplant you did."

Jackson could feel April's whole body shake next to him. "Right… well, April is a fan of your work, mom. She really is. She's…"

"A fan. I understand." Catherine said in a surly tone. It was obvious that April's admiration for her work and praises weren't in her interest at the moment. She looked at Jackson, who knew better at that point. He moved his stare back at April, whose face was still completely red.

"Maybe you should…"

"Yeah, yeah… maybe I should I go." April finished his sentence, wishing she could run away from the situation as fast as she could. "It was so nice to meet you."

They both started moving, but as soon a Jackson took the first step to follow April to the door, Catherine opened her mouth and made Jackson stop when she let out at him a simple "Don't."

"It's okay." April said in a low tone. Then, she quickly excused herself and made her way to the front door, knowing that even though it would be easier to get home from the kitchen back door, it would look weird for Catherine to see a stranger walking around her house.

"Sit." Catherine demanded when April left. Jackson sat on the couch and she moved from where she was standing, placing her handbag on the coffee table. "I have no idea who that girl is, but one thing I'll tell you, Jackson. I do not appreciate you taking home random girls…"

"She's not a random girl. April's…"

"Yes, let's start with that." Catherine cut him off, resting her hands on her hips. "Who is that girl?"

"She's my girlfriend." The words flew out of him mouth before he could control them. He didn't mean to say 'girlfriend', because he knew the mess he was getting himself into by saying that. His mother was about to give him a hard time and he knew it.

"Your what? Your girlfriend?" She questioned, completely perplexed. "Was she… what? Your girlfriend in school? Does her family own a house here?"

"No, it's not that. We met here a few days ago." Jackson reluctantly replied, but before he could go on Mindy walked into the room, probably after listening to his mother's voice.

"Doctor Avery, you're already here." She said, as soon as she walked in and the woman looked at her.

"Yes, yes I am. I decided to make my son a surprise and arrive a couple of days earlier. It seemed like he was having a much better time without me here, since I just found him snuggling on that couch with some girl, who apparently is his girlfriend." Catherine turned to her, but the slightly aggressive tone of her voice didn't go away. "Did you know about this?"

"Mom, Mindy has nothing to with this." Jackson spoke. Putting Mindy in a hard position was the last thing he wanted to do. "She didn't even know I was home."

"Did you know Jackson was bringing that girl home?" Catherine asked Mindy, ignoring her son.

"I did, Doctor Avery."

Jackson raised his head suddenly to look at Mindy. He knew she couldn't lie to his mother, but he wondered if she was going to tell that April spent the night with him. They'd be in big trouble if Mindy told her about that. "I was the one bringing April home. We haven't done anything wrong and she's a nice girl…"

"I'm not talking to you." Catherine turned her attention back to Mindy, looking for some reliable answers. "Who is this girl? Do you know who she is? How long he's been bringing her home?"

"I don't know her that well, but she seems like a nice girl." Mindy replied, moving her eyes from Catherine to Jackson for a second, then back at her boss. "I think she's a simple girl, very polite."

"And how did you meet her? Where?" She asked, this time looking at Jackson.

"Here. I met her here."

"Here? In the Hamptons…"

"No, mom. Here…" Jackson said, making a gesture with his hands pointing to the house. "I met her here, because she's living here… with her dad." He could see the surprise in her expression and he wondered if he was getting April or even her father in trouble with what he just said. So, he quickly tried to explain himself better. "Mom, she's the gardener's daughter."

Catherine opened her mouth to speak, but paused before any words came out of her mouth. Then, she turned her back to him, probably thinking about it for a minute. Mindy's eyes fell on Jackson. He knew this whole situation was his fault and if his mother blamed her for anything he was going to feel bad about it too.

"So you're bringing the gardener's daughter to my house? You decided to have a… fling with that girl, knowing that she is who she is…"

"She is who she is? What do you mean by that?" Jackson cut her off, standing from where he was sitting. "I'm so sick of it. I'm so sick of people saying that about her. Yes, she's the gardener's daughter. Yes, she's a simple girl. But I like her… she likes me. What's so wrong about it?"

"Jackson, that's not the problem. The problem is you're obviously giving false hopes to this girl when you say you like her, when you make her your girlfriend in less than a month, when you start bringing her to your home and allowing her to see things she has never seen before. The kind of lifestyle that you live…"

"It has nothing to do with it or with I feel about her." Jackson went on, angrier than ever. His voice tone was loud now as he was almost shouting. "I'm tired of people seeing April as this poor, silly girl who only cares about my family name or money. She's not. She never mentioned it! You don't know her…"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Catherine said, raising her tone as well, confronting Jackson and with a hard stare making him back off. "You say I don't know her, but you don't know her either. Jackson, I'm your mother… I might not know this girl, but I know you. And I know you're young, blinded with the illusion of what love is. You are playing with this girl and her feelings, but I know you better, Jackson."

"You don't! How can you?" He spoke again, the anger in his voice was turning into frustration. "You spent your whole life sending me away. How can you say you know me when you barely spend time with me? How can you say I'm playing with her feelings when you know nothing about mine?"

"If you actually let me spend time with you when I can, then it would be much easier for you to use that argument." Catherine replied, taking a defensive position. "You take every chance you get to be away from me, to keep me out of your life."

"Because I don't need you in it. I don't!" Jackson said, harshly. His nerves seemed out of control. "I never did. All you care about is meddling and get your way… always! So you can't say you know me 'cause you don't."

"That's not fair, Jackson." Catherine said. "I work hard for this family, for you…"

"Well, don't bother. For me? Don't even bother. I'm sick of this and right now… I'm done." Jackson started walking, passing by Mindy, who stayed quiet the entire time. He heard his mother yell something at him, but his brain didn't assimilate quite well what it was. He made himself leave the room to avoid saying something else, something he knew he'd regret later. So, he headed upstairs to his room. His mind was spinning around uncontrollably and he couldn't stop thinking about April. His mother didn't have a clue about the way he felt about her, about their relationship, about her.

…

"Did you get into trouble?" April asked, wrapping her arms around his hips as Jackson pulled her closer.

"No." He replied. It was late at night and they both sneaked out to be together, since after the incident they didn't see each other for the rest of the day. Jackson stayed in his room and didn't talk to his mother until dinner, when they exchanged a few words but nothing too important.

"I bet you did. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. Alright?" Jackson shook his head and placed his lips on her forehead, resting his hands on her waist. "It's fine."

"I know you're lying. Was it that bad?"

"It wasn't bad, alright? My mom can overreact, but she'll come around."

"Gosh!" April took a deep breath, feeling his warm breath against her forehead. "I bet your mother hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, April."

"She must hate me. I can't believe I met Catherine Avery and I screwed up everything. I mean, I made a complete fool of myself and she must think I'm some kind of slut or something." April went on, feeling her cheeks blush again at the thought. "I'm so embarrassed. I ruined everything."

"April, hey! Look at me." Jackson said, looking down at her. "It's okay… it's okay, really!"

"Your mother asked to see my dad a little after I left, you know?"

"She did?"

"Yep. But I don't think she said anything about us. She only asked him about his job, the house, if he needed anything to work and then the conversation turned to me and he explained her why I was staying with him."

"Oh, okay. So she didn't say anything about…"

"No, he didn't. We're good. I guess she didn't tell him about us, because if she did I'd probably be dead by now."

"I'm sorry. My mom, she's…"

"No, she's right. It's only normal she started question about it, about me. She found us making out on her couch."

"Speaking about making out…" Jackson said, with a sparkle in his eyes. "I missed you today." She smiled at him, it was a shy smile and he knew she was still thinking about the incident earlier. It was time to let it go, there was nothing and no one, not even his mother, that could pull them apart. She was his girlfriend now. In that moment he remembered how he actually never asked her to be his girlfriend, how it all happened too suddenly, how she simply became it. His expression changed and he felt his butterflies fly on his stomach. He wanted to do it, to ask her for real, to hear the words come out of her mouth, a simple 'yes' would never sound so right. He had never done it before and he had no idea how people did it… how he was supposed to do it. "April…" He started saying, taking a second to think about what he was about to say. She nodded, noticing the different expression on his face. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

She giggled and moved her hands to his neck. "Am I not your girlfriend already?" April asked and Jackson nodded, wrapping his arms around her back.

"Yes, but I never asked you."

April paused and cupped the sides of his face. Then, she pulled him in and they kissed. It was a soft, almost innocent kiss. However, as soon as they parted, April didn't even have time to reply, to say anything else. They heard a noise, steps walking through the grass and all they could do was quickly look at the person coming their way.

**.**

**AN:**

Hey! New chapter!

It's a short one, but we've got to see mama A in action. Now, who is it at the end? April's dad?

Anyways, let me know what you thought of this and REVIEW!

Thanks for all the reviews and support. They mean the world to me.

Hope you're still enjoying the story.

Love, Annie.


End file.
